Newell’s Old Boys have surprisingly invited Lionel Messi to return to his hometown club, with a four-month contract being planned for the superstar currently playing for Inter Miami.

Despite being 37, Lionel Messi is still playing at a high level for Inter Miami. He helped the team win the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, but also saw his team miss out on the MLS playoffs and miss out on other major trophies. His contract with Inter Miami runs until 2025, and his future beyond that remains uncertain.

In that context, Newell’s Old Boys coach Cristian Fabbiani frankly expressed his desire to welcome the “lost son” back: “I hope Messi will come to play in just four months, whenever he wants… He can absolutely create a great duo with Éver Banega.”

Messi and Banega were once teammates on the Argentina national team, especially at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – where they won gold. Messi’s final dream in his career may not be another title, but a perfect ending with the place that nurtured his first steps: Newell’s Old Boys.

Lionel Messi has become a living legend of world football and he is going through the final chapter of his great career at Inter Miami. But in the hearts of Argentine football fans, especially in the city of Rosario, the dream of Messi wearing the red and black shirt of Newell’s Old Boys has never faded.

Born in Rosario, Messi spent time at Newell’s before joining Barcelona in 2000. Two decades later, he is the most decorated player in football history, with eight Ballons d’Or – a feat that is almost impossible to surpass.