Thirty five year old Messi, had announced he will play at American side Inter Miami in Major League Soccer after ending his two-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentine playmaker, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, had options to return to the Catalan club, where he carved out his legacy, or take a megabucks move to Saudi Arabia.

Xavi said he had spoken a lot with Messi over the past few months but noticed a change over the past few days.

Messi, who arrived at Barcelona as a 13-year-old and went on to become the best player in the club’s history, was forced to leave in 2021 with the club’s financial situation preventing them giving him a new deal.