Xavi says Barcelona's doors will 'always be open' for Lionel Messi
Is the stage set for Lionel Messi to make his triumphant return to F.C. Barcelona next season?
Messi spent over 20 years at the famed Spanish La Liga club, arriving to its youth academy as a teenager in 2000 and tearfully exiting at a 2021 press conference when Barcelona's proposed new contract for Messi could not get approval from La Liga due to financial issues with the club. Messi has spent the past two seasons at French club Paris Saint-Germain alongside star winger Kylian Mbappé, whose France national team lost to Messi and Argentina in an instant-classic 2022 World Cup final, and Brazil star Neymar.
However, reports out of Spain claim that Messi's father and manager Jorge recently met with current Barcelona club president Joan Laporta. When asked about the potential of Messi returning, head coach Xavi Hernandez — a fellow Barcelona legend and longtime teammate of Messi's — said that the doors will "always be open" for the club icon to come "home."
"[Messi] is a friend and we are in permanent contact," Xavi said at a recent news conference, per ESPN. "It depends on what he wants for his future and how the club see it. He is the best player in the world and the best ever. He would always fit [the team]."
Messi's club and international soccer future remain unclear as his current contract with PSG is set to expire after the 2022-23 season. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, another former teammate of Messi's, also extended a similar offer for the 35-year-old to return to the national team after Messi led them to the 2022 World Cup title, which is considered the crowning achievement of his storied career.
[Lionel Messi says he's not done yet with Argentina national team]
Messi has also drawn reported interest from Inter Miami of the MLS and clubs in Saudi Arabia as well, where he could rejoin longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo who now plays for Saudi club Al Nassr.
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Barcelona is in the midst of a resurgent season under Xavi thanks in large part to young midfielders Gavi and Pedri and superstar veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, who is in his first season with the club. Barcelona currently sits eight points above second-place Real Madrid in the La Liga table. The club won 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa Del Rey tournament championships and four Champions League titles during Messi's career there.
PSG has also shown a desire to re-sign Messi, though the superstar trio of Messi, Mbappé and Neymar has so far underperformed expectations for the club. Neymar is out indefinitely with an ankle injury amid reports of English Premier League club Chelsea's interest in the striker. PSG is down 1-0 on aggregate in its Champions League Round of 16 tie with Bayern Munich and needs to win by at least two goals in Germany on March 8 to avoid a second straight exit in the opening round of the tournament's knockout stage.
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