Barcelona Candidate Victor Font Says Lionel Messi Would Be His First Call if Elected

MUNICH, Germany – Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font said on Wednesday that Lionel Messi would be the first person he contacts if he wins the club’s 2026 presidential election, as the businessman positions himself as a challenger to incumbent Joan Laporta.

Font, 53, who lost to Laporta in the 2021 election, told El Mundo Deportivo that restoring Messi’s relationship with the club would be a priority should he return to power. “The first call I’ll make when we win the elections will be to Leo Messi,” he said.

Messi, 38, spent nearly two decades at Barcelona and became the club’s all-time top scorer before departing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 amid severe financial constraints. Now at Inter Miami, the Argentina captain visited the renovated Camp Nou last week while on international duty and said he hoped to return to the club in some capacity in the future.

Font criticized Laporta’s handling of Messi’s exit and suggested the current president has repeatedly used Messi’s name for political leverage. He referenced Laporta’s 2021 campaign promise that the forward would remain at the club if he were elected, a pledge Font described as “another example of a broken promise.”

Laporta has since played down the possibility of Messi returning as a player, calling it “not realistic,” though he has proposed plans for a statue honoring the forward outside the stadium. Font responded that such a tribute “doesn’t even begin to cover” Messi’s legacy and insisted the club should work toward re-establishing a meaningful role for him.

Font added that while he has not formally contacted Messi or his representatives, any future discussions would focus on the long-term sporting project and ensuring Messi’s involvement aligns with the club’s broader strategy. “We need to embrace Leo Messi and do everything possible to ensure he has the role at Barça that he wants and that supporters would be thrilled about,” he said.

Barcelona will hold their next presidential election in 2026, with Font once again emerging as Laporta’s most prominent rival. The debate around Messi’s post-playing future is expected to feature heavily as both candidates outline their visions for the club’s direction in the coming years.