Messi Asked To Speak 'Truth' On Failed Barca Return Before Election

Barcelona, Spain – With only days remaining until Sunday’s presidential election at Camp Nou, challenger Victor Font has called on Lionel Messi to break his silence and publicly clarify why a much-discussed 2023 return to the club never materialised. Font’s appeal, issued Tuesday, frames the episode as a pivotal issue that could sway undecided socis as they choose between continuity under incumbent Joan Laporta or a new direction led by the 52-year-old telecommunications entrepreneur.

“I hope he tells the truth so that the socis don’t go to the polls misled by Laporta and blinded by the smoke screen of hope generated by Hansi Flick and the young players,” Font told reporters, referencing the current coach and the squad’s youthful core. His statement intensifies a campaign already dominated by competing narratives over Messi’s departure in 2021 and the aborted attempt to bring him back from Paris Saint-Germain two years later.

The controversy reignited this week when former Barça coach Xavi Hernández claimed that a verbal agreement to re-sign the Argentine had been “finalised” before Laporta intervened, allegedly fearing a power struggle with the iconic forward. Laporta flatly rejects that version, insisting that Jorge Messi, the player’s father and representative, elected to steer his son toward Inter Miami rather than subject him again to the spotlight of Catalonia.

Font has placed Messi’s potential reconciliation at the heart of his platform, vowing to phone the Inter Miami captain on Monday morning if he wins the election. “We will tell him that Barça should never have broken the relationship with the best player ever,” Font said in an interview with Jijantes. “There are thousands of socis still hurting and wanting a reconciliation.”

The candidate outlined a three-pronged proposal: an honorary presidency role, a structured plan to recover commercial revenue tied to Messi’s global brand, and the freedom for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner to dictate the terms of a farewell ceremony befitting his legacy. Font argues that restoring the bond with Messi would heal a reputational wound and unlock financial upside at a time when the club continues to navigate economic constraints.

Laporta, speaking Monday, dismissed suggestions that he fears a pre-election statement from Messi or his father. “I’m not afraid,” he said, signalling confidence that his own account of events will resonate with voters.

Ballots will be cast this weekend in an election that could redefine Barcelona’s institutional direction. Whether Messi chooses to speak before then remains uncertain, but Font’s challenge ensures the debate over what really happened in the summer of 2023 will shadow the final sprint toward the vote.

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