No Public Meeting of Lionel Messi and Barcelona President Joan Laporta at the Best Awards

• Lionel Messi and Barcelona president Joan Laporta did not meet during the FIFA The Best awards gala as speculated
• An image of a man resembling Laporta meeting with Messi went viral on Monday night after the awards
• Barcelona have been keen to bring Messi back to Camp Nou, two years after he left the Catalans for Paris Saint-Germain

Barcelona’s hopes of a reunion with Lionel Messi next season are still intact despite club president Joan Laporta failing to make a public appearance with the Paris Saint-Germain star at the FIFA The Best awards.

Both Messi and Laporta attended the awards gala in Paris on Monday night, and fans got a little too excited after an image of a man resembling Laporta greeting Messi circulated online.

However, it has now been confirmed that the Barcelona president and Messi did not meet after the awards ceremony in Paris as speculated by fans.

Winner of 2022 FIFA the Best award leaked

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Messi who has been widely linked with a return to Barcelona was crowned as the best player in the world for the second time in his career at the 2022 FIFA’s The Best Award.

The Argentina striker edged PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to the accolade after a successful 2022 that saw him win the World Cup.

Messi to snub Barcelona for boyhood club

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is set to return to his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys and snub Paris Saint Germain, FC Barcelona, plus Inter Miami, Forbes reports.

Messi is out of contract with PSG on June 30 and his close friend Sergio Aguero has revealed the Argentine will be heading back to his boyhood club, snubbing all the interest in him from Europe and USA.

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Although Messi's father and agent Jorge Messi recently met with president Joan Laporta to explore the possibility of his son donning Blaugrana again.

Messi beats Mbappe to FIFA Best Player Award

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Lionel Messi has been crowned the 2022 FIFA Best Player of the Year at the awards ceremony held in Paris, France on Monday, February 27, 2023.

The legendary Argentina forward beats Paris Saint Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to win the top award.

Messi led Argentina to a third World Cup triumph in Qatar after netting in all the knockout games, including a brace in the final against France.