Lionel Messi is set for an emotional reunion with boyhood club Newell's Old Boys next year, according to reports.
Messi has represented Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and current club Inter Miami in his illustrious carer but the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner started out at Newell's back in his hometown of Rosario.
Messi spent his early days tearing up for the Newell's youth team and it's claimed that he scored an insane 234 goals in 176 games between the ages of six and 12.
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He then signed with Barcelona and moved to the famed La Masia academy.
The 36-year-old has spoken before about finishing his career with Newell's and though that could still happen, fresh reports from Argentina claim he will come up against them in the near future.
Gaston Edul from TyC Sports says Inter Miami and Newell's have confirmed a friendly fixture.
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It will happen on February 17 and looks set to take place at the DRV PNK Stadium.
Messi has never represented Newell's at first-team level but he did pull on their shirt as a tribute to the late Diego Maradona after scoring for Barcelona in November 2020.
He also received an incredible reception at the Estadio Coloso Del Parque Marcelo Bielsa on his birthday earlier this year when he turned out against a Newell's XI in Maxi Rodriguez's testimonial.
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The friendly will be even more special for Inter boss Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, who has a strong association with Newell's.
He played more than 400 times as a player and managed them for a single season before linking up with Messi at Barcelona and the Argentina national team.
The Herons have also announced friendlies in China against Chinese Super League side Qingdao Hainiu and Chengdu Rongcheng in November.
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The games come after Inter failed to make the MLS play-offs.
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Topics: Lionel Messi, Newell's Old Boys, Argentina, Barcelona, Inter Miami
Josh Lawless