Wouldn't this be romantic: Messi's boyhood club calls him back

Diego Armando Maradona, Juan Roman Riquelme, Carlos Tevez, Angel Di Maria... The list of Argentinian players who returned to their homeland to end their exceptional careers there is quite long. However, with all due respect to all those renowned names, one return would shake the football world and cause a flood of emotions in Argentina.

Namely, although it may sound like a fairytale, crazy and far-fetched, Lionel Messi's boyhood club, Newell's Old Boys, has a plan to get the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner back home!

Messi reveals his future role in football

Speaking to the Argentinian TN, the vice president of the Rosario side, Juan Manuel Medina, revealed the club's strategy to convince Leo to return next year.

“We are working on Leo playing for Newell’s in the first half of 2027, but for now, there’s nothing more than that. It depends on what we can offer in terms of infrastructure and on putting together a competitive sporting setup."

"It was discussed, the idea was put forward, but there was no decision. It’s a project that goes beyond Newell’s. It’s a project for the city of Rosario, the province, and Argentine football.”

It's clear that Messi's willingness to join Newell's would be the decisive factor. At the moment, it doesn't sound too realistic, as the 38-year-old extended his deal with Inter Miami last October, running until the end of 2028.

Interestingly, Leo never played senior football in Argentina, as he joined Barcelona at 13. He spent five years at Newell's (1995-2000), where he arrived as an eight-year-old boy.

In the end, it's hard to tell whether this plan would work, but no one can stop Old Boys from dreaming of their old boy Leo's return. Even at the age of 40.