Lionel Messi in talks with former club as Argentina legend puts MLS stint on pause: report

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Lionel Messi is perhaps the best footballer ever to play the beautiful game - the Argentine has the individual accolades and collective success to prove it.

A World Cup winner at long last in 2022, Messi left European football shortly thereafter to take on a new challenge with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

In the United States, Messi has won a Leagues Cup, a Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup with the franchise owned by David Beckham, which was inaugurated in 2018.

Lionel Messi in talks over Argentina return

This is an addition to the incredible list of honours to Messi's name which he helped Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain win during his career in Europe.

Whilst his Barcelona journey began as a 13-year-old, Messi did represent two other teams in his younger years back in Argentina.

One of which was Argentine Primera Division side Newell's Old Boys, for whom he reportedly scored over 200 goals in their youth teams, which alerted Barcelona to his prodigious talent.

According to The Athletic, who have relayed information from South American outlet TN, Messi's representatives and the Argentine club are in talks over a potential transfer in 2027.

“We are working on Leo playing for Newell’s in the first half of 2027,” Newell's vice president Juan Manuel Medina told the Argentine newspaper, suggesting conversations had been taking place for some time dating back to 2024.

“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 is contracted to Inter Miami until December 2028, when he will be 41 years-old, but has showed no signs of slowing down in the US, scoring 29 times in 28 MLS appearances during the 2025 season.

The 38-year-old has previously expressed his desire to one day represent Newell's, which could come at the beginning of 2027 when MLS undergoes a transition to align its calendar with European football.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner unveiled a Newell's shirt after scoring for Barcelona in 2020, highlighting the affinity he holds for club of his hometown.