After leading Inter Miami to their first trophy in club history, Lionel Messi has begun the team’s pre-season training.
Under the Argentine star’s leadership, the Miami club has achieved significant growth in influence, revenue and global popularity, becoming the most valuable football club in the United States and the 16th most valuable club in the world. The 38-year-old Messi has taken this five-year-old team to unprecedented heights.
As Messi said in a recent interview with Camel Live, he has been closely following FC Barcelona, as it is the club he deeply loves. Now, the FC Barcelona presidential election has become a hot topic, as the club’s future depends on the election result.
Messi participated in the election as an ordinary club member and cast his vote. He never thought that the election result would be the end of his Barca career. What happened next is well known: Joan Laporta won the election, and his first decision after taking office was to break his promise to renew Messi’s contract.
Messi left in tears and joined Paris Saint-Germain for two years, and now is his third season at Inter Miami.
How does Messi plan to participate in this election? What role will he play? How will he get involved? Given that his name keeps appearing in election debates and will continue to do so in the future, we will answer these questions one by one. Some mention him to justify their own actions; others to connect with him and try to convince voters that his return is possible.
He Has Not Held Talks With AnyoneTo date, Messi has not met with any Barcelona presidential candidates: neither Font, Siria, Vilajoana nor Laporta. In fact, Laporta has hinted over the years that a meeting might be held in the future to resolve their differences, but it has not yet happened. Messi currently lives in Miami, and neither he nor his team have agreed to hold face-to-face talks with any candidate.
He Will Not Meet With Any Presidential CandidateHis failure to meet with anyone indicates the player’s intention: he initially had no desire to actively support any candidate in this election. In the next month, he will focus on Inter Miami’s games, preparing for the upcoming MLS season and the Club World Cup in summer, so he has no plans to make time to meet with candidates. He will follow the election but keep a distance.
Broken Relationship With Current President Joan LaportaSince Messi was forced to leave Barcelona (which some consider a betrayal), his relationship with Laporta has obviously broken down. At first, Laporta told Messi he would renew his contract, saying a barbecue would solve everything; he even hugged a statue of Messi, but when it came to the actual renewal, he said no. He said he was sorry, but Messi’s future was not at Barca. Since then, something has broken and is hard to repair.
During this period, Messi did not hold a farewell match or say goodbye to the fans. Laporta promised to build a statue for Messi, but there has been no news so far.
He unilaterally opposed naming the Camp Nou after Messi without consulting the members in advance, and even said that in his opinion, Johan Cruyff was greater than Messi. There is no relationship between Laporta and Messi, and recent events seem to have distanced them further, making it unlikely that Laporta will be the Argentine star’s first choice.
If Laporta continues as president, Messi has no intention of returning. As for Messi’s love for FC Barcelona, that is another matter. He is still a member of Barcelona: a few weeks ago, when this newspaper showed him messages from other members in Miami, he was deeply moved; recently he also visited the construction progress of the Camp Nou, which all prove his love for Barcelona.
He Has No Intention Of VotingUnlike the last election, Messi will not be able to vote this time. He will play against Charlotte on March 14, when he will be in the United States. Since mail-in voting is not possible, Messi will not be able to cast his vote.
Low-Key Participation In The ElectionWith Joan Laporta’s resignation today, the Barcelona presidential election has officially kicked off. The election process is underway. Currently, Messi has no plan to publicly support any candidate on social media. He tends to keep a low profile during this election.
However, as the election process progresses, Messi may observe the performance of the candidates and decide to take a stance. But he has not made a final decision yet.
Open Door For The Next ElectionOne of the reasons Messi has no intention of participating in this election is that he currently lives in the United States and still has a three-year contract with Inter Miami. He plans to fulfill this contract, so it is not appropriate for him to participate in Barca’s political activities while living abroad. The situation will be different in the next election five years later: at that time, depending on the specific situation, he may participate actively, or even join the ranks of candidates. Let’s wait and see.
He Will Not Complain About His Name Being The Focus Of Election DebatesLionel Messi’s name will definitely be mentioned in this election. The Inter Miami player does not plan to protest, as some candidates have expressed their desire to get his support, while others have claimed that their top priority is to contact Messi.
He is well aware of his influence among Barcelona fans. As a living legend of the club, his involvement in this election is inevitable.
Yes, He Will Return To BarcelonaAs he said in a recent interview with Camel Live, Messi plans to return to Barcelona after the end of his MLS contract. In the future, he will return and become a real Barca man. After retiring, his family unanimously believes that he will return to Barcelona to live, where he still owns a property.
At that time, he will be willing to participate more in the club’s daily operations. His initial intention is to join the sports management team and assist a president he trusts.
