"We will do whatever it takes to bring him back" - Barcelona presidential candidate vows to bring Lionel Messi back to the club

Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ciria has promised to do everything possible to bring Lionel Messi back to the club. The 2026 candidate is set to battle Joan Laporta, Victor Font, and Xavi Vilajoana for the hot seat at the club.

In quotes published by GOAL, Ciria has said in a Q&A session with club members that Barcelona need Messi back at the club. He has a plan to take the club out of its debt and said:

"We already said in 2021 that he was the best generational bridge in sporting terms and an economic engine. We need Leo Messi and we will do whatever it takes to bring him back. We are a candidacy to win the next Barça elections, of course we are, but above all we want to preserve the legacy. When things aren't working, you have to change them, you have to start over. We mustn't get caught up in personal interests or entrenched positions. Our movement is the only one that has presented real solutions. We must modernize the club with real professionals."

"We are not some kind of sham. I feel expelled by prohibitive prices, by the games of buying and downloading tickets, by the absence of a dedicated fan zone and the largest sports association movement in the world, the supporters' clubs, because now they don't suit us. The debt has grown in recent years, we haven't increased revenue despite inflation, and perhaps because of all this, these are the last elections we'll experience as Barça members."

Lionel Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after the club could not renew his contract. He spent two seasons with PSG before joining Inter Miami.

Lionel Messi made a surprise visit to Barcelona's Camp Nou in November

Lionel Messi surprised the fans around the world by posting about a visit to Camp Nou in November. The Argentine did not inform the club about his visit, but posted about it on Instagram and said:

"Last night I returned to a place I miss with my soul. A place where I was immensely happy, where you guys made me feel a thousand times the happiest person in the world. I hope one day I can come back, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to…”

Lionel Messi currently has a contract with Inter Miami until 2028, after signing a new deal with the club earlier this year.