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Lionel Messi has his fans on the edge of their seats. The Inter Miami player has recently made some comments that leave his future with the US club up in the air, prompting many to wonder if he'd like to return to Barcelona F.C., the club where he spent the majority of his life.
Messi addressed his future with Inter Miami with reporters after playing against Orlando City. When asked if he had signed a new contract with the team, he said, “No, I don’t know anything.”
Messi's contract expires this December, leaving his future up in the air. That, paired with Inter Miami's recent form, has many fans concerned. "We're coming off a period of bad results," said Messi earlier this month.
"But we have to keep working and think about what's next. With three or four games left in May, we have to finish in the best possible way to be able to face the Club World Cup."
Could he return to Barcelona F.C.?
In 2021, Messi left Barcelona F.C. for Paris Saint-Germain, a move that rattled his fans and that Messi himself was clearly unhappy with.
Before his move to Miami, Messi revealed that while he'd received offers from different European teams, the only team he would consider playing for again was Barcelona.
“I didn’t even consider it because my idea in Europe was only to return to Barcelona,” he said to Sport and Mundo Deportivo. “After winning the World Cup and not being able to join Barcelona, it was time to go to MLS and live football from another perspective, enjoying more my daily life."
It's unknown if Messi could return to Barcelona in the future due to La Liga's rules, which have salary caps on teams. If a team goes over their allotted amount, they can't register the player and are not able to use them for matches. This is the reason why Messi initially left in 2021.
According to Sport, for the time being, Messi's relationship with the Barcelona board remains distant. He's likely to renew a contract with Inter Miami and, if he's interested in returning to Spain, it would likely be after next year's World Cup, which is hosted in the US, Mexico, and Canada.