Lionel Messi has accused a Spanish media outlet of lying in relation to claims that he spoke with Barcelona president Joan Laporta on Monday.
Jijantes FC claimed that Messi spoke with Laporta after the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he clinched his eighth Golden Ball. The report stated that the Barca president discussed the best date to hold a planned tribute to the Camp Nou legend, which the player referenced in his winner’s speech. However, Messi has disputed these claims, posting a screenshot of the story on Instagram, with the accompanying caption: “you lie once again”.
The journalist responsible for the story, Gerard Romero, took to X to apologise for his error quickly after Messi’s refusal. “A THOUSAND APOLOGIES to all, and A THOUSAND MORE. I have been fooled again with something related to LEO. I’m not learning. I’m sorry. VERY f***ed up. I accept everything you tell me today and I promise that we will work to ensure that it does not happen again,” he wrote.
It remains to be seen whether Messi accepts his apology while he enjoys some time away from the pitch. Inter Miami’s season ended early due to their failure to make it to the MLS playoffs, so he won’t be in action until Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil next month