Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys is working on a long-term plan aimed at persuading Lionel Messi to return to his boyhood club in 2027.
A senior club official has confirmed that discussions are ongoing behind the scenes, with the goal of bringing the two-time MLS MVP back to Rosario for the first half of the 2027 season. Newell’s first vice president Juan Manuel Medina said the idea extends beyond the club itself and involves wider cooperation across the city, the province, and Argentine football as a whole.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, signed a contract extension with Inter Miami in October that keeps him at the MLS club until the end of 2028.
Now 38, Messi began his football journey at Newell’s Old Boys, playing for the club’s youth teams between 1995 and 2000 before moving to Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, where his legendary career took off.
Inter Miami are set to kick off the 2026 MLS season on February 21 away to Los Angeles FC. Meanwhile, Messi is also preparing to lead Argentina in their defence of the World Cup title this summer in North America.
