Lionel Messi’s boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, have publicly confirmed they have tried to engineer a return for the Argentina captain amid ongoing speculation about his long-term future.
Messi, 36, is currently contracted to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023. While he has quickly become the face of the MLS project in South Florida, questions continue to follow him regarding what comes next—particularly with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon and his contract situation in the United States watched closely.
Newell’s vice president Cristian D’Amico revealed the club have already explored the idea of bringing Messi back to Rosario, even if any move would be complicated and, for now, remains more hope than a concrete plan.
“We have had conversations and we have made efforts,” D’Amico said, explaining that the club would be prepared to do what it can to make such a move possible, while accepting the realities involved.
Messi joined Newell’s academy as a child before relocating to Barcelona at the age of 13, where he went on to become the most decorated player in the club’s history. Despite his deep connection to Newell’s, he has never played a senior match for the Argentine side, and any potential return would be one of the biggest stories in South American football.
In recent years, Messi has repeatedly spoken with affection about Newell’s, but he has also made clear that family decisions and the right conditions would have to align. A move back to Argentina would also come with obvious practical challenges, including security concerns and the impact on his young family’s routine.
For now, Messi remains focused on Inter Miami’s season as well as Argentina’s international calendar. However, Newell’s confirmation that they have attempted to open the door to a reunion will only add momentum to the long-running debate over whether the World Cup winner will one day finish his career where it began.
Inter Miami, meanwhile, continue to build around Messi as they push for trophies domestically and in continental competition. Yet with his name inevitably linked to possible next steps—whether in MLS, a return to Europe, or a sentimental homecoming in Rosario—every update from Messi’s former clubs is likely to draw attention.
