Lionel Messi Opens Up on a Possible Return to Barcelona After 8th Ballon d’Or Win

• Lionel Messi left Barcelona without saying a proper goodbye
• After winning his 8th Ballon d'Or, he spoke about his love for Barcelona
• The Inter Miami forward left the club in 2021 after 21 years

Lionel Messi spoke about a potential return to Barcelona after winning a record-extending 8th Ballon d'Or.

The Argentine left the club in 2021 in unceremonious circumstances, and there were talks that he could return to the club to say goodbye to the fans.

Messi's 21-year association with Barcelona ended after financial woes prevented him from signing a new deal with the club.

He left the Spanish giants as their record scorer with 672 goals. During his time there, he won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and seven Copa del Reys, as well as six Ballon d'Or awards.

He joined the club's La Masia academy at 13 in 2000 from Argentine outfit Newell's Old Boys and made his senior debut aged 16 in 2004, per the BBC. The rest, as they, is history.

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A return has been suggested, but it is unclear in what capacity Messi would return.

Will Messi return to Barcelona?

After receiving his 8th Ballon d'Or, Messi spoke about a possible return to Barcelona for a proper farewell.

"Barcelona is the club where I grew up, which gave me everything, which I love, and where I also gave my all. Why not return to the club? But it’s not something I’m thinking about now," he said, via 90min.

"Someday, I will be living in Barcelona, I will be close to the club in one way or another. I will be linked to that home, and I don’t know what could happen."

He added that he wants to say goodbye properly.

"I would love to be able to say goodbye to the people in a different way. I think there was a strange feeling when I left."

After winning the World Cup, Messi was regarded as the best player in football history and the Ballon d'Or win removed any doubt about that claim.

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Mbappe congratulates Messi

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on France forward, Kylian Mbappe congratulating Messi after he won the 2023 Ballon d'Or award on Monday night.

The Argentina and Inter Miami star beat off competition from Mbappe and Man City's Erling Haaland to scoop the coveted award for an eighth time.

Mbappe and Messi led PSG to Ligue 1 triumph last season, but the former Barcelona forward also saw his nation win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.