Messi’s Barcelona exit: five years on from the statement that changed everything

Wednesday marks five years since Barcelona announced Lionel Messi would leave the club, bringing to an abrupt end the most celebrated player chapter in its history and leaving a dispute that has never been fully resolved.

The Spanish club made the announcement in 2021 through a three-paragraph statement, despite saying an agreement had been reached with Messi and that both parties wanted to sign a new contract that day.

“Despite reaching an agreement between the club and Lionel Messi, and with the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of economic and structural obstacles, in accordance with La Liga regulations,” Barcelona said.

The club added: “Given this situation, Lionel Messi will not continue with FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club cannot ultimately be fulfilled.”

Barcelona ended its statement by thanking “the greatest player in history for everything he has contributed”, while wishing Messi success in his future personal and professional endeavours.

The announcement ended Messi’s association with Barcelona, where he had become the club’s leading goalscorer and most decorated player.

Five years later, the precise reasons for his departure remain the subject of debate. Spanish newspaper AS wrote: “To this day, the reasons for his departure remain unclear. But it is clear that Messi still loves Barcelona, as shown by his statements whenever he has the opportunity, including his night-time visit to Camp Nou during the renovation work and his tears when he left, although some kind of disagreement arose between him and the club president, Joan Laporta.”

Attempts to repair the relationship have not produced more than promises of a statue and a tribute match, according to the report.

Messi’s attachment to Barcelona has remained evident through his public comments and his continued connection with the stadium. His emotional departure, however, left a lasting impression and was followed by an unresolved tension between the player and Laporta.

The disagreement has existed alongside a successful period for Laporta in electoral terms. The president has not been harmed politically by the decision, with Barcelona winning three league titles, two domestic super cups and one domestic cup during the five years since Messi’s departure.

Messi’s exit therefore remains both a defining moment in Barcelona’s recent history and an open chapter in the relationship between the club and the player who broke its records for goals and trophies. The original announcement presented the split as the result of economic and structural barriers, but the lingering questions surrounding the decision, together with the apparent disagreement involving Laporta, have ensured that the story has continued well beyond the day it was made public.