Laporta blocked Messi's Barcelona comeback to prevent internal conflict – Xavi

Xavi Hernandez, the former coach of Barcelona, has revealed that the club's president, Joan Laporta, blocked the potential return of Lionel Messi in 2023 due to concerns over a power struggle.

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According to Xavi, Messi had expressed his desire to return to Barcelona after winning the World Cup, with the club having received the green light from La Liga in financial terms.

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Xavi recounted a conversation with Laporta, in which the president stated that if Messi were to return, he would "wage war" against him, a scenario Laporta was unwilling to allow.

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Messi subsequently stopped responding to Xavi's calls, having been informed that his return was no longer possible, despite Xavi's insistence that everything was in place for the move to happen.

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Xavi had envisioned Messi's return as a "last dance," drawing parallels with the career of former NBA star Michael Jordan, with no doubts existing from a footballing perspective.

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Laporta, who recently resigned as president to pursue re-election, has countered Xavi's claims, suggesting that the former coach is bitter and that Messi's father and agent, Jorge, had informed him of the player's decision not to return.

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Laporta stated that he had sent a contract to Jorge Messi, who later visited him and expressed concerns that the pressure would be too great if Messi were to return to Barcelona.

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Messi remains Barcelona's all-time top scorer, with an impressive 672 goals, and won a record 34 trophies during his time at Camp Nou.

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Laporta also made the claim that Barcelona had rejected a substantial 250 million euro ($288 million) offer from Paris Saint-Germain for teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, reportedly made in the summer of 2024.