There’s one line of thinking that Barcelona knew all along it was never going to be in a position to sign Messi and fit his salary within its player budget limits for the upcoming season. Given the way the transfer se… See more

Another group of cynics believe the Barcelona statement was an attempt to somehow force La Liga … See more

Last year, the scenario involved other factors. In the summer of 2020, with one year left on his four-year, $675-million Barcelona contract, Messi went public about his desire to leave, citing a falling out with club m… See more

It was Messi's turn to tell his side of the story, which he did during a tearful press conference held on August 8 in Barcelona: Messi made it clear during the press conference that he never wanted to leave, but that it's … See more