Lionel Messi could play in Argentina again as Inter Miami eye a preseason friendly vs River Plate

Lionel Messi could be back on Argentine soil sooner than expected. According to Bolavip Argentina, Inter Miami would visit Buenos Aires during their preseason for a friendly against River Plate at the Monumental, a stadium Messi already knows well.

Although neither club has made anything official, the report says the match is expected to be played on Jan. 19, as part of Inter Miami’s preseason.

For Inter Miami, trips like this are nothing new: since Messi arrived, the club has toured to take its brand around the world, and the Argentine capital would be a natural stop for the team.

If the friendly goes ahead, it would be a special game for Messi, as the Monumental is where he said goodbye to the Argentina national team on Oct. 6 against Benin. A few months later, he would return to the same ground, this time wearing the pink shirt of Inter Miami and facing one of the most popular clubs in the country.

A special bond with River Plate

Messi’s relationship with River Plate goes beyond a possible friendly. The club has treated him as one of its own since his farewell with the national team in October, when the Monumental became the stage for a tribute that went well beyond the usual courtesies between a host and a visitor.

Before the match against Benin, club president Stefano Di Carlo named him an honorary member, handing him a membership card, a plaque and a personalized No. 10 shirt created for River’s 125th anniversary. Messi returned the gesture by giving the club the shirt he wore in that game, signed with a message for the fans, which is now on display in the River museum.

A friendly in January would give both sides the chance to continue that story on the pitch. After a farewell filled with emotion, Messi would return to the Monumental in a very different context, this time as a rival, but welcomed by a club and a crowd that have already shown how they feel about him.