Lionel Messi’s former club to try and lure him back in 2027, vice president confirms

Lionel Messi could be in line for a fairytale return to boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys in 2027 after the Argentinian outfit’s vice president confirmed plans to re-sign the superstar.

Messi spent around six years in Newell’s youth setup after joining at the age of six before moving to Barcelona’s La Masia, where he blossomed into arguably the greatest footballer to have ever lived.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, 38, is now seemingly winding his career down at MLS side Inter Miami but Newell’s vice president Juan Manuel Medina hopes to lure Messi back to Rosario to see out his footballing days.

"We are working on Leo playing for Newell's in the first half of 2027," Medina told Argentine publication TN.

"It's a project that goes beyond Newell's. It's a project for the city of Rosario, the province, and Argentine football. It all depends on what we can offer in terms of infrastructure and a competitive sports program."

Messi’s contract at Inter Miami, which he renewed last October, runs until 2028 but the superstar has previously said that it would be his “dream” to return to Newell’s to finish his career, expressing this desire in an interview in 2017.

The Argentine club has unsurprisingly deified Messi, naming a stand of their home ground - the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa, which is named in honour of the former Leeds manager - after the forward.

He played in a friendly for Inter Miami against Newell’s in February 2024, which ended 1-1.

Messi turns 39 in June and is expected to lead defending champions Argentina into this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, though he is yet to confirm his participation in the tournament.

Messi has won all but every accolade his competed for across his glittering career, including 12 league titles in Spain and France, four Champions Leagues and two Copa Americas, on top of his elusive World Cup crown.

He most recently lifted the MLS Cup in 2025 after becoming the first player in MLS history to collect back-to-back MVP awards.