Lionel Messi to not retire at Inter Miami, could return to former club after end of contract: Reports

Lionel Messi may return to his childhood club, Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, when his Inter Miami contract expires in December 2025. Messi played for Newell's at the youth level before leaving to FC Barcelona at the age of 13.

If reports are to be believed, football legend Lionel Messi may return to his childhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, in Argentina when his contract with Inter Miami ends in December 2025. Before moving to Barcelona at the age of 13, he played for Newell’s for five years and he might consider retiring at the club where he began his youth career.

According to a report from El Nacional, Messi plans to move back to Argentina after leaving Inter Miami next year. He joined the Major League Soccer (MLS) team after the end of his Paris Saint Germain (PSG) contract last year and, in his debut season in the U.S., helped Inter Miami secure its first trophy, the Leagues Cup.

In 2016, Messi expressed his desire to return to Newell’s Old Boys, stating, “If I go back to Argentina tomorrow, which I would love, the club I would be playing for would be Newell’s,” as quoted by Spanish magazine El Planeta Urbano (via Mirror).

However, in a later interview with TyC Sports, he seemed uncertain about returning. He remarked, “My dream is to play at Newell’s, but I don’t know what will happen, and a part of that doubt is due to the way the country is at the moment.” He emphasized the importance of his family’s safety, saying, “I want them to grow up in a calm place, being able to enjoy life with security. It is very ugly to see the things that happen in Argentina.”

In a historic campaign, Messi led Argentina to win the long-cherished FIFA World Cup in December 2022 and was named the tournament's best player, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in Qatar.

In 2020, after reports surfaced about Messi making transfer request to Barcelona , Newell's Old Boys fans took to the streets, demanding his return. Their slogan, "Your dream, our desire," may soon become a reality.

He appeared for La Albiceleste in the Copa America final 2024, where he could not complete the match due to injury. After a gap of few months, he returned to play for Inter Miami, scoring two goals against Philadelphia Union. Messi missed a significant part of the season, but managed to score 16 goals and provide 12 assists in 18 appearances across competitions. Messi is very well poised to win a second trophy with Inter Miami as the team currently leads the Eastern Conference, nine points ahead of second-placed FC Cincinnati.