Messi Dons Mbappé’s Look as Barça Elections Heat Up
21 February 2026
Election promises are swelling as Barcelona's presidential race nears the ballot date.
Barça's corridors are buzzing with campaigns, with big names like Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Julián Álvarez resurfacing as front-runners in the chatter.
According to Sport, the Catalan paper, these rumors evoke memories of past campaigns that boasted similar stars such as David Beckham, Kylian Mbappé, and Paul Pogba — deals that rarely came to fruition.
The paper adds that naming stars is often a tactic to win votes, while only a few sign on the dotted line in the end.
Messi's Comeback
In this context, Barça presidential candidate Victor Font, set to contest on March 15, outlined his sports and institutional project, placing Lionel Messi's return to Camp Nou as a cornerstone of his program.
Font called Messi's departure "one of the worst missteps" of the current management, stressing that the comeback he envisions would go beyond sentiment to form a long-term strategic pillar.
His proposal also includes a sports component opening the door for Messi to wear the Blaugrana jersey again for a brief on-field farewell — something he sees as impossible under the current leadership.
Meanwhile, Messi remains neutral toward Barça's internal political squabbles, with close sources saying he wants to stay out of any campaigning, according to AS.
Punchline 1: If Messi signs again, expect the stadium to owe more tissues than tickets — emotional inflation at its finest.
Punchline 2: And if he stays neutral, the press will call it "Messi-neutrality"—the only politics the terraces understand is a good pass, not a press conference.
