Lionel Messi once had hopes of wearing the Barcelona shirt once more. But in the end, that dream was shattered in silent regret.

In a conversation with the Simplemente Futbol program, the Argentine superstar shared for the first time the reason why he could not reunite with the team he had been with for nearly 20 years.

“I always wanted to return to Barca one day. It was my home, my childhood, all my beautiful memories. But sometimes, things don’t go the way I want, ” Messi confided.

When he left PSG in the summer of 2023, he and his father – Jorge Messi – had many meetings to discuss returning home. But financial barriers and a series of problems prevented the deal from becoming a reality.

Instead of reuniting with the team leading La Liga, Messi and his family made a completely different choice: to go to the US to play football.

“Moving to MLS was a family decision. After the World Cup, I wanted to find something lighter, something different. Europe, for me, has only one team in my heart: Barcelona,” he said.

Messi grew up in the La Masia academy and became a legend at Camp Nou. Meanwhile, his short time in Paris did not bring him the expected connection.

“My family is fine, my children are happy, my wife is always supportive. But personally I don’t find comfort,” he admitted.

Currently, Messi is satisfied with life in the US, and the possibility of him renewing his contract with Inter Miami is very high. He and Inter Miami are currently ranked 4th in the MLS.

Messi’s team is 3 points behind but has played 1 match less.