Barcelona president, Joan Laporta has declared that Lionel Messi is not bigger than the club and he has no regrets on how the Argentine left the team, Softfootball reports.
Messi recently returned to the newly refurbished Camp Nou and afterwards said he would love to come back for a proper goodbye with the fans because he didn’t leave in the ideal way.
During an interview shared by football expert, Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle, the Barcelona president was asked if he has any regrets about Messi’s departure. He replied:
Despite how everything happened with Leo Messi’s departure, I have no regrets. Barça is above anyone else. It’s not what we all wanted, but it was not possible in that moment, told Catalunya Radio.
Laporta added:
🚨❌ Barça president Laporta closes doors to reports of short term loan for Leo Messi.
“Out of respect for Messi, our players, and our members, it's not the time to speculate with unrealistic scenarios”, told Catalunya Radio. pic.twitter.com/8cnfyn8hlU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 12, 2025Messi visited on the day Barcelona beat Celta Viga 4-2 away from home, their last LaLiga match before the international break. Luckily, for Barcelona their bitter rivals Real Madrid dropped points so they are now just three points behind Los Blancos.
Messi spent the majority of his career at Barcelona, rising from the youth ranks to become the club’s all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 official matches. He won a total of 41 official trophies with the club, including 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions League titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, and 7 Copa del Reys. Financial issues forced his emotional departure from Barcelona in 2021 and he joined Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi is currently at Inter Miami and led David Beckham’s team to win its first-ever trophies. They won the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield. He won the 2023 Leagues Cup Best Player and Top Scorer awards and the 2024 MLS Landon Donovan MVP Award. Messi reached 40 goal contributions in a single MLS regular season and recently notched up his 400th career assists.
