Inter Miami arranging friendly with Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s

The MLS franchise is planning a friendly against the Argentine club in the New Year. Messi joined Newell’s as a six-year-old, before relocating to Barcelona in 2001.

Andy HallUpdate: Sep 29th, 2023 15:53 EDT

ALBERT GEAREUTERS

Inter Miami have more high-profile friendly matches in the pipeline for when the MLS season reaches its conclusion in December. Yesterday, it emerged that an international marketing company is looking at the possibility of organising a friendly match between Messi’s team Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo’s, Al Nassr with China as a possible destination.

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In another nod to Messi’s past, reports coming out of Argentina on Friday claim that Inter Miami are hoping to arrange a post-season friendly with his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys early in the New Year. In a post on X, TyC Sports journalist Gastón Edul claimed that both clubs are working on staging a friendly, which would take place in Miami in January or February 2024.

Messi en La Masia 💪🏼 Barcelona compartió algunas imágenes inéditas de La Pulga jugando de muy pequeño 👏🏼 ¡Crack!📽️ Barcelona pic.twitter.com/zM1vg8W75f

— TNT Sports Argentina (@TNTSportsAR) July 27, 2020

Newell’s, Messi, Maradona

If the friendly is arranged and goes ahead, it would be Messi’s first reencounter with his first proper club. He joined Newell’s as a six-year-old, scoring close to 500 goals for the club before relocating to Barcelona with his family in February 2001. He has never lost his love for his first club, hinting that he had dreamt about ending his playing days with Newell’s, where it all started. In November 2020 when soccer legend Diego Maradona passed away, after scoring in the 5-0 win over Osasuna, Messi gave his own personal tribute by whipping off his Barcelona jersey to reveal a replica of the No.10 Newell’s shirt which El Pelusa wore during his two seasons at the club in 1993-4.

Diego Maradona Newell's Old Boys 🔴⚫ pic.twitter.com/5GZDHMSnni

— MotherSoccer (@MotherSoccerNL) July 25, 2021

Soon after the death of Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi revealed a Newell's Old Boys kit to honour the legend.Now he's won a Copa America with his idol looking down 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/7WBLVzt6QT

— GOAL (@goal) July 11, 2021