<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a> has long been linked with an emotional return to one of his former clubs before retiring, but this time, the offer&nbsp;isn’t coming from <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/barcelona/">Barcelona</a>. Instead, one of his earliest teams has stepped forward, presenting an unprecedented&nbsp;four-month contract proposal&nbsp;that would reunite him with a familiar face from his Argentina days.



The idea is both romantic and unexpected. Messi’s journey to stardom began far from the bright lights of the Camp Nou, in&nbsp;his hometown of Rosario, where he first honed his craft before moving to Europe as a teenager. Now, one of the clubs that helped shape his career is making a bold push to bring him back—if only for a short but historic spell.



The club in question is none other than&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/newells-old-boys/">Newell’s Old Boys</a>, where Messi played as a young boy before leaving for Spain in 2000. While he never had the chance to represent them at the senior level, Newell’s are now looking to change that by offering him a&nbsp;four-month contract, with their manager openly expressing hope that Messi will consider the move.



“I hope Messi comes to play for just four months, whenever he wants,”&nbsp;Newell’s manager&nbsp;Cristian Fabbiani&nbsp;told&nbsp;ESPN F90.&nbsp;“A tournament lasts that long, four months. He could make a good duo with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/ever-banega/">Ever [Banega]</a>.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250402_WST_563260_messi-Newells-Old-Boys-1200x675_6d081cac.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="messi Newell&apos;s Old Boys" class="wp-image-563281" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/04/01203955/messi-Newells-Old-Boys.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



Interestingly, Messi and&nbsp;Ever Banega&nbsp;share a deep connection, having played together&nbsp;for Argentina at the 2008 Olympics, where they won gold. A reunion in Rosario, even for a brief spell, would be a major moment for the club’s fans.



<h2>Would Messi even consider it?</h2>



Messi’s current focus remains on&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/inter-miami/">Inter Miami</a>, where he has quickly become the face of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/mls/">MLS</a>. Since joining the Florida-based club, he has been instrumental in their rise to the top of the&nbsp;Eastern Conference&nbsp;and remains in contention for the&nbsp;CONCACAF Champions Cup. However, questions about his long-term future persist.



At&nbsp;37 years old, Messi’s contract with Inter Miami includes an option to extend his stay into 2026.&nbsp;Club co-owner Jorge Mas&nbsp;has previously stated that he expects the Agrentine to&nbsp;still be playing when the team opens its new stadium in 2026, indicating that a move elsewhere might not happen immediately.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Messi en Newell&apos;s - Messi at Newell&apos;s" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rW47ysAgF3Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



However,&nbsp;Messi has previously spoken about his desire to return to Newell’s before retiring. Back in 2016, he told&nbsp;Diario AS:&nbsp;“If I go back to Argentina tomorrow, which I would love, the club I would play for would be Newell’s.”&nbsp;Reports from&nbsp;El Nacional&nbsp;last year also suggested that the veteran’s&nbsp;ideal retirement plan&nbsp;involves finishing his career at the club where he took his first steps in professional soccer.


<div class="wp_fsn_poll" id="67ec8b660c8fd1e7fdf26b9d" data-title="Should Messi consider a short-term move to Newell\&apos;s Old Boys before retiring?" data-options="3"></div>

Could Lionel Messi be set for emotional return? Four-month contract offer on the table and possible ex-Argentina teammate reunion—but not at Barcelona

Could Lionel Messi be set for emotional return? Four-month contract offer on the table and possible ex-Argentina teammate reunion—but not at Barcelona - World Soccer Talk

Could Lionel Messi be set for emotional return? Four-month contract offer on the table—but it's not from Barcelona

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Could Lionel Messi be set for emotional return? Four-month contract offer on the table—but it's not from Barcelona