FC Barcelona is reportedly contemplating a dramatic loan deal to bring Lionel Messi back from Inter Miami, offering fans a final opportunity to see their legend don the Blaugrana jersey once more.
Messi, often hailed as one of the greatest footballers in history, boasts an extraordinary career with 759 goals in 941 club matches and 112 goals in 191 international games. He has secured nearly every prestigious accolade in football, including a record eight Ballon d'Or awards.
During his remarkable tenure at Barcelona, Messi amassed an impressive collection of trophies: 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey trophies, 7 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Champions League titles, 3 UEFA Super Cups, and 3 FIFA Club World Cups. His legacy at the club is monumental, and the desire for a proper farewell remains strong among supporters and club officials.
Reports from Spain indicate that Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, is actively pursuing the possibility of securing Messi on loan from Inter Miami. The intention is to provide him with the farewell he missed during the pandemic, this time at the newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou. This potential return is viewed not only as an emotional gesture but also as a strategy to attract significant media attention for the club.
Although Inter Miami's owner, David Beckham, has reportedly rejected the idea for now, sources suggest that it could be reconsidered in 2026. This timing would coincide with Messi's preparations for the next FIFA World Cup, and a return to competitive European football could help him regain peak form.
The reports indicate that Messi himself is open to a brief return to Barcelona, motivated by the desire to properly bid farewell to the fans and possibly add a few more accolades to his already illustrious career.
However, skepticism remains. Beckham's current position complicates the situation, and there are doubts about whether he would allow Messi to temporarily leave Inter Miami, even for a farewell appearance in Catalonia.
In a separate discussion that reignited the long-standing debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, former Premier League striker Dion Dublin shared his views, provoking reactions from fans.
On the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Dublin stated, “Cristiano Ronaldo is a superior goalscorer compared to Lionel Messi. While Messi excels as an all-around footballer, Ronaldo is undoubtedly the most prolific goal scorer.”
Dublin supported his argument with impressive statistics, highlighting Ronaldo's remarkable achievement of over 60 career hat-tricks. “That’s incredible! I scored 111 goals in the Premier League, and here’s a player who has more hat-tricks than some players have total career goals.”
Former England manager Sam Allardyce, also featured on the podcast, reminisced about the iconic rivalry: “It was phenomenal to witness Messi and Ronaldo challenge each other season after season in La Liga. They weren’t traditional strikers, yet they consistently scored 30-40 goals each season.”
Allardyce recalled Ronaldo's early days at Manchester United, saying, “When he came off the bench against us at Bolton, he completely dismantled our defense. I was in the dugout thinking, ‘Who is this kid?!’”
He concluded by noting that modern stars like Erling Haaland would need to sustain extraordinary scoring rates for years to match Ronaldo’s record, underscoring the exceptional nature of the Messi-Ronaldo era.