The official outcome
FC Barcelona announced on August 5, 2021 that Lionel Messi would not remain with the club. Its statement said the club and player had reached an agreement and intended to sign a new contract, but financial and structural obstacles under Spanish league regulations prevented it from being formalized.
The inherited address of this page describes a five-year deal and a wage reduction. That wording should not be read as proof of a completed registered contract. The club's statement establishes the essential correction: agreement on a proposal and the ability to register it were different things.
Source [1]What later transfer announcements establish
Inter Miami's club history records Messi's signing on July 15, 2023. That subsequent announcement is a separate event, not evidence that Barcelona completed the proposed 2021 renewal. A player's career can generate several overlapping headlines: negotiations, agreement in principle, registration and eventual departure. Reading the dated club record avoids combining different stages into a fictional transaction.
For a useful comparison, Barcelona's Lewandowski announcement explicitly identified the transfer agreement and its original terms. The related explainer shows what a completed announcement can establish without turning old contract details into a current claim.
Source [2]