Barcelona fans chant Lionel Messi's name in Supercopa final against Real Madrid

Barcelona fans were seen chanting Lionel Messi's name during the Supercopa de Espana final against Real Madrid. The Blaugrana emerged victorious, beating Los Blancos 5-2 at the King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia on Sunday (January 12).

Their legendary playmaker is no longer with them, with the Argentine talisman now playing for Inter Miami in the MLS. However, Barca fans certainly had him in mind, with chants of "Messi! Messi" reverberating in the stadium.

Here's the video (via All About Argentina's X handle):

Messi's long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. However, fans in the Middle Eastern kingdom also seem to have a strong affinity for Lionel Messi.

The support of the Barca legend may have helped the Blaugrana players on the pitch on Sunday, who exceeded expectations against Los Blancos. By the end of the first half, it was already 4-1 in the Catalan club's favor. However, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was shown the red card for his last-gasp tackle on Kylian Mbappe in the 56th minute.

La Blaugrana scored just one goal in the second half. The match ended 5-2, with Real Madrid also managing to add just one goal despite their numerical superiority.

The game was evenly matched in possession, with Madrid slightly worse off (49%) than Barca (51%). Both sides were also evenly matched in their passing, with Los Blancos making 344 passes (85% accuracy) and Barca making 376 passes (87% accuracy).

Real Madrid were not clinical, though, taking 19 shots, with only six on target. The Blaugrana had eight of their 14 shots on target.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has now won his first trophy with the Catalan giants: The Supercopa de Espana. Lionel Messi won seven such trophies throughout his time at Camp Nou.

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Lionel Messi could return to high-flying Barcelona

Lionel Messi could be working towards a return to Barcelona next year, if reports are to be believed. The legendary playmaker's contract with Inter Miami expires at the end of 2025, though he is widely expected to sign an extension and continue his career in the USA.

However, World Soccer Talk have claimed that within his proposed contract extension, there could be a clause that allows Messi to return to Europe on loan. The MLS off-season usually starts towards the end of the year and concludes by February of the next year.

If such a clause is placed in Lionel Messi's contract, he could return to Barcelona in early 2026. This could see him face Real Madrid once again in La Blaugrana colors. However, the details around the contract have not yet been confirmed by Inter Miami.