Lionel Messi's dad Jorge does not expect his son to play for Barcelona again, as speculation over his future rumbles on.
Messi, 35, is out of contract at the end of the season. He was initially expected to sign a new deal at Paris Saint-Germain, but the Ligue 1 champions are yet to tie him down. A move to a Major League Soccer (MLS) club or a Saudi Arabian side have been mooted.
Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina last December, made a name for himself at Barcelona before making a tearful exit and joining PSG in the summer of 2021. Barcelona fans would love the forward to return to the Camp Nou, but that seems unlikely.
"I don’t think Leo will play for Barcelona again," Jorge, who is involved in his son's football career, told Spanish newspaper SPORT on Thursday. "The conditions are not met. We have not spoken with [club president Joan] Laporta and there is no offer on the table."
Messi is arguably the greatest player of all time and has enjoyed a near-perfect career after finally getting his hands on the World Cup trophy. The Argentine will forever be associated with Barcelona after spending 21 years at the club - first joining aged 13.
Messi scored a club-record 672 senior goals and won a club-record 35 trophies - including 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues - during his time at Barcelona. No player in the history of the professional game has scored more official goals for a single club.
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Messi was forced to leave Barcelona after his contract expired in the summer of 2021. The player wanted to stay at the Camp Nou, but the club's dire financial situation meant they couldn't afford to keep him on their books. He joined PSG in August 2021.
Barcelona are no longer in such a perilous financial position and fans have longed for Messi to make an emotional return to Catalonia. He is still one of the best players on the planet after scoring seven goals at the recent World Cup in Qatar to win the Golden Ball.
Messi is also impressing for PSG. He has scored 15 goals and provided 14 assists in 26 games this season to help PSG establish a five-point lead at the top of Ligue 1. They did suffer a 1-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, though.
Messi will have several destinations to choose from if he leaves PSG. Inter Miami, who are co-owned by David Beckham, have longed for his signature and the player has previously admitted his desire to play in the MLS. Messi also owns a property in Miami.
Saudi Arabia, who recently lured Messi's long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo to the country, could offer the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner an eye-watering salary to represent one of their clubs. Messi is already an ambassador for the Arab country.
In terms of Barcelona, Laporta has said: "It’s obvious that as Barcelona’s president I would like him to return one day to Barca, I would love that. But we can't generate expectations... he is a PSG player - we would really like it if he returned, but we will see."
