Xavi Hernández just pulled back the curtain on one of football's biggest "what ifs." The former Barcelona manager has revealed that Lionel Messi's emotional return to Camp Nou was completely ready to happen in 2023. But it all fell apart because of club president Joan Laporta.
According to Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, Xavi gave an exclusive interview where he dropped this bombshell. The claim? Messi's return was a done deal until Laporta personally blocked it.
Remember when Messi left Paris Saint-Germain in June 2023? Everyone thought he'd head back to Barcelona for one last dance. Instead, he ended up at Inter Miami in MLS. At the time, Laporta acted disappointed and claimed the club did everything possible to bring the Argentine legend home.
But Xavi tells a completely different story. Right after Messi lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar in December 2022, the wheels started turning. Xavi says he personally reached out to his former teammate in January 2023.
"Messi was already signed," Xavi stated bluntly. "After he won the World Cup, we reached out. He expressed a strong desire to return to Barcelona, and I met with him directly."
The Deal Was Done Until It Wasn't
Xavi and Messi kept talking through March 2023. Everything looked perfect from a football perspective. Xavi even told Messi he'd handle the president and get final approval. Contract talks started between Laporta and Messi's father Jorge. La Liga reportedly gave the green light too.
Then Laporta slammed on the brakes. According to Xavi, the president said something shocking: "If Messi returns, he'll declare war on me. I can't handle that."
Suddenly, Messi stopped returning Xavi's calls. Someone had told the superstar it was impossible. Xavi tried calling Messi's father, desperately trying to understand what happened. Jorge's response? "Talk to the president."
Xavi was stunned. "We've been talking to Messi for five months. It's already done. There's no doubt football-wise, and financially, there's no problem," he recalled saying.
A Barcelona Legacy Left Unfinished
The plan sounded incredible. Xavi wanted to create Messi's version of Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance" at Barcelona's temporary home, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Everything was arranged for a fairytale ending.
Instead, the relationship between Xavi and Messi took a hit. "I couldn't even contact Messi for a while," Xavi admitted. Messi apparently thought Xavi was part of the power structure that blocked his return. Thankfully, they've since reconciled.
Xavi pulled no punches about who's responsible. "I'll say it clearly. The reason Messi didn't return to Barcelona is because the president didn't want it. It's not because of La Liga, nor because Jorge Messi demanded more money. That's a lie."
He believes Laporta and his inner circle feared losing control. They thought Messi's massive influence would threaten their power at the club.
For Barcelona fans and bettors, this revelation changes everything about how we view the club's recent decisions. A Messi return would have transformed Barcelona's on-field prospects and commercial value instantly. The team struggled without a true goalscoring threat last season, and Messi could have provided exactly that.
Xavi clearly remains bitter about the whole situation. He even said if Laporta wins the next presidential election, he'll never return to manage Barcelona again. "Now, what I care about is telling the truth," he stated.
The 39-year-old Messi continues playing for Inter Miami, while Barcelona fans are left wondering what could have been. According to Xavi, we missed out on one of football's greatest comeback stories because of backroom politics.
