Barcelona president Joan Laporta has told Lionel Messi in public that he must stay.

Laporta was sworn in as the new Barcelona president on Wednesday evening and the new boss' message to Lionel Messi was the main headline from his introductory speech.

Messi was in attendance for the ceremony, along with various other players and Blaugrana figures, and Laporta turned to address Messi at one point.

"We will, for example, try to convince Leo to stay at the club," Laporta said during the speech, at which point applause broke out in the room.

"Sorry Leo... I will do my best and he knows it!

"We're going to try, of course, to convince him to stay here because he's the best player in history.

"Sorry, but I love you and Barcelona also loves you.

"If this stadium were full, you wouldn't want to go."