The Athletic confirmed the Sanllehi-Messi incident via an anonymous club source. Inter Miami issued a statement saying that the Sanllehi decision was "pre-planned" and not a response to the exchange on the bus, per the original report from GiveMeSport’s Tom Bogert.

Messi's Inter Miami contract keeps him at the club until the end of 2025. Beyond that, his future is up in the air.

Though, the man who played a big part in bringing him to the United States, David Beckham, has admitted the future likely lies with arguably the greatest of all time returning to Barcelona when his playing career is over. Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 21, Beckham admitted that Messi has openly talked about returning to Spain.

Inter Miami's president of football operations, Raúl Sanllehí is no longer in charge of sporting matters, and has been replaced by the Herons academy director, Guillermo Hoyos, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Sanllehi’s duties have been reassigned to the club’s academy director Guillermo Hoyos, a long-time confidant and former academy coach of Inter Miami captain and former Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. GiveMeSport’s Tom Bogert first reported news of Sanllehi’s reassignment.

Lionel Messi wants to re-join Barcelona when his time at Inter Miami draws to a close, according to sensational reports in Spain. The Argentina legend left Camp Nou to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in 2021,