Messi's Next Move: Barcelona Return, India Visit, and $200M Business Venture

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Lionel Messi has been making waves in the football world with several significant developments in the past few days. Let's dive into the latest news and updates on the Argentine superstar.

First off, speculation about Messi's future after his Inter Miami contract ends has been intensifying. According to a family friend, Yanina Latorre, Messi has already decided on his next move: a return to Barcelona. Latorre revealed that Messi told her he will return to Barcelona once his time in Miami is over, stating, "My place is there." This decision holds profound emotional significance for Messi, who spent over two decades at Barcelona, joining the club's youth academy at 13 and becoming their all-time leading scorer[1].

However, Inter Miami's co-owner Jorge Mas seems optimistic about Messi's continued presence, expecting him to be their No. 10 in the opening of their new stadium in 2026. Despite this, Messi's long-term plans appear to diverge from the club's aspirations[1].

In other news, Messi is expected to visit Kerala, India, in the latter half of 2025. Kerala's sports minister, V. Abdurahiman, announced that Messi will spend seven days in the state, from October 25 to November 2, including a friendly match and a public interaction with fans. However, there are doubts about the accuracy of these dates, as they do not align with FIFA's official international break windows[2].

On the business front, Messi's holding company, Play Time, has been making strides. Launched less than two years ago with serial entrepreneur Razmig Hovaghimian, Play Time is raising $200 million in capital to incubate companies and make investments. This ambitious plan aims to capitalize on Messi's singular talent and commercial aspirations in the richest country in the world[3].

Lastly, while not a recent development, it's worth mentioning Messi's past innovative marketing endeavors. In 2021, Lay's partnered with AI and facial-mapping specialists Synthesia to create personalized messages from Messi to soccer fans. This campaign used AI to manipulate Messi's lip movements and sync them with voiceover audio, providing fans with a synthetic piece of messaging from the star athlete[4].

In summary, the latest on Lionel Messi includes his planned return to Barcelona, a potential visit to India, and his growing business ventures with Play Time. These developments highlight Messi's continued influence in the football world and his ambitious plans beyond his playing career.

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