Why Messi is keeping one eye on FC Barcelona for 2026

Danish author Hans Christian Andersen certainly knew a thing or two about fairy tales. The Little Mermaid writer, who also penned The Emperor’s New Clothes and Thumbelina, spoke for millions when he reflected on his experiences, saying “to travel is to live.”

Barcelona legend and former LaLiga star Lionel Messi could certainly vouch for that, having spent the past few seasons on a lengthy MLS swan song of his stellar career that has seen him further cement himself as the greatest to ever play the game.

By all accounts, he’s had a great time stateside, but he still wants that fairytale ending that someone like Andersen would have written into the script.

The 38-year-old is reportedly keeping a close watch on the club he called home as they lead up to the 2026 presidential elections.

It has been reported that Messi is not ruling out participating, in some way or another, in the Barcelona elections in 2026, which will see current owner Joan Laporta go up against a number of — as of yet unconfirmed — candidates in his bid to retain power.

Laporta’s current reign was voted in by the members on a promise that he would keep Lionel Messi, something that not only did not happen, but also caused one of the strangest club publications ever: the president talking to a headless mannequin wearing the shirt of the recently departed Lionel.

Since then, the club have been kicking the financial can down the road and launching it over the renovated stadium walls: solutions to player registrations have been under every Camp Nou sofa that hasn’t been sold on eBay and they’re somehow managing to keep the ship in a straight line, with on-pitch success at the old Olympic stadium doing a sensational job of taking eyes away from the building site.

And it seems Messi is indeed well aware, with Cadena SER reporting that while Messi has been in contact with people in the Barcelona setup, Laporta is not one of them.

Hans Christian Andersen also said: “My life will be the best illustration of all my work,” and I think Lionel Messi can probably relate to that.