Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ciria has said he will do all he can to bring Lionel Messi back to the club if he prevails in next year’s elections.

Current president Joan Laporta’s mandate is up in 2026 and Ciria officially announced this week he will run against him when elections are held at some point between March and June.

Despite leaving the club in 2021, Messi, who recently led current club Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup, is likely to, indirectly, play a big part in the campaign over the coming months.

“We want our legends to be able to come back to the club and not have to do it in the middle of the night and hidden,” Ciria said at an event to launch his candidacy on Tuesday, a nod to Messi’s unexpected appearance at Spotify Camp Nou last month.

“We will do everything possible to achieve it. [Messi] is an indispensable figure for this club. He must come back with a solid support system and a good structure in place.

“The Messi-Barça relationship has to be like the Michael Jordan-Nike one. It must go above and beyond, from the commercial and institutional areas of the club to the sponsors and development of players at La Masia.

“With the best player in the club’s history, we can do so many things and earn so much money. Bringing him home is essential if we want to emerge from the financial situation we are in.”

Messi, 38, recently signed a new contract in Miami to extend his stay with the MLS side until the end of the 2028 season, making his return to Barça, where he is the record scorer and appearance holder, unlikely.

However, there remains a desire to bring him back in whatever capacity given his significance to Barça.

Another presidential candidate Victor Font, who finished second to Laporta in 2021, said recently his “first call” if he wins the elections will be to Messi.

Meanwhile, Laporta’s relationship with Messi was strained by the Argentina international’s departure in 2021 when Barça could not afford to finalise a contract renewal they had agreed with him.

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In an attempt to heal those scars, Laporta recently said he plans to erect a statue of Messi at Camp Nou as part of a tribute he wants to give to the legendary player, who never got a proper send off becayse he left during the pandemic.

“It’s not about convincing him with a statue or a tribute game,” Ciria added. “It’s about an agreement that makes the best sportsman on the planet Barça’s biggest ambassador.”

Messi’s appearance at Camp Nou in the middle of the night in November came with a message on social media in which he expressed his desire to one day return to Barça-

“I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do…” he posted on Instagram.

FIFA on Wednesday announced the introduction of a limited number of $60 “Supporter Entry Tier” tickets, aimed at making the 2026 FIFA World Cup more affordable for supporters of qualified teams.

Football’s governing body said the discounted tickets will be available for all 104 matches, including the final.

According to FIFA, the reduced-price tickets will account for 10 percent of the ticket allocations for Participating Member Associations (PMAs).

These associations represent competing national teams and are responsible for managing fan-focused ticket programmes.

PMAs will oversee the distribution process and set their own criteria to prioritise “loyal fans” with strong ties to their national teams.

FIFA added that 50 percent of each PMA’s total ticket allocation will fall within the most affordable categories, with 40 percent under the Supporter Value Tier and 10 percent under the newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier.

“The remaining allocation will be split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier,” it added.

Fans who apply through PMA ticketing programmes and whose teams fail to progress to the knockout stage will have administrative fees waived for refund requests.

The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of ticket pricing ahead of the 2026 tournament, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Last week, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) accused FIFA of imposing “extortionate” ticket prices that could prevent average fans from attending the event.

FSE director Ronan Evain told Reuters on Tuesday that while the new pricing was a step in the right direction it was “clearly not sufficient”.

He noted that following a team to the final would cost $480 under category four, but jumps to $6,900 for category three, meaning one fan “sitting in the same section” as another could pay 15 times more.

Evain also said there was a lack of transparency around ticket distribution.

“FIFA doesn’t provide any guidelines or obligations for the PMAs. They have the freedom to choose how they distribute the tickets,” he said.

According to the BBC, this will mean about 400 of the cheaper tickets will be available for England and Scotland in their group games, yet Evain said that most PMAs don’t disclose the number of tickets.

FIFA said in its statement on Wednesday that PMAs were requested to ensure that these cheaper tickets were “specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams”.

Evain also raised concerns about accessibility for fans with disabilities.

“The cheapest they can get all the way to the final is $7,000 and they also must pay full price for companion seats, meaning that following a team to the final could cost $14,000,” he said.

Despite the backlash, FIFA reported strong interest in the sale’s third phase draw, which began on December 11 and will remain open until January 13, driven by the release of match schedules, venues and kick-off times.

Pakistani climber Samina Baig has successfully skied to the South Pole, marking a historic first achievement for her country. Baig, who was part of an international team arranged by Elite Exped, left Pakistan on December 2 and arrived at Union Glacier on December 6.

She completed the South Pole journey on December 14.

In a post on her Facebook page, Baig described the achievement as one of the most challenging and meaningful experiences of her life.

She highlighted that the ski journey had never been accomplished by any Pakistani before and said it was difficult to put into words.

“From standing on the summit of Mount Everest in 2013 to completing the Seven Summits, from climbing K2 and Nanga Parbat to now reaching the South Pole, this journey has taken me across the highest mountains and most remote places on Earth,” Baig wrote.

“Each step throughout the journey has instilled in me patience, resilience, and the strength of faith.

She conveyed that the journey demanded faith in the vision, maintaining dedication despite doubts, and progressing even when the way appeared unfeasible.

Baig expressed hope that her efforts would inspire others, particularly young women, to pursue their dreams.

Baig also thanked her community for financially supporting the expedition, as well as her family, team members, Nirmal Purja, and Elite Ex for their emotional support and belief in her.

“Carrying the flag of Pakistan and my Ismaili flag across mountains, continents, and polar ice has been the greatest honour of my life.

I remain grateful for every opportunity, every lesson, and every person who walked this path with me,” she said.