Laporta: at Ballon d'or ceremony I say hi to Messi but he didn't respond to me

Laporta revealed in an interview that he had approached Messi at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony but received no response. 

Following Messi's traumatic departure from Barcelona in the summer of 2021, the relationship between Laporta and Messi was damaged and has yet to be repaired. The former Barça president admitted to Catalan radio: " The relationship has been damaged," while also revealing that at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, despite his greetings, Messi declined to greet him. 

 Laporta stated: "My relationship with Messi is no longer what it once was. An incident occurred during the Ballon d'Or ceremony where I approached him to say hello, but he felt we shouldn't exchange greetings. Since then, we've had some contact and hope for further progress. The relationship has been damaged, but he remains a legendary symbol of Barça spirit." 

 When asked about Messi's night appearance at Camp Nou, Laporta said: "I knew he was in Barcelona because the Argentine national team played here, but I wasn't aware of other details. It's clear that whenever Messi wants to enter the stadium, he should always be allowed access whenever possible. It's his home. That's exactly how things unfolded." 

 Laporta reiterated: “Messi deserves a statue at Camp Nou like those of Cruyff and Kubala.” He added: “He deserves a tribute ceremony, and we believe the most appropriate time would be when the stadium is fully completed and capable of hosting over 100,000 audiences.”