The door is open! CONMEBOL chief fuels talk of a Messi homecoming
He only just said goodbye to international football, and already the football world is dreaming of one more farewell: the one that would take Lionel Messi back to where it all began.
Details: According to Goal, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez openly talked up the possibility of Messi ending his career at boyhood club Newell's Old Boys while attending the captain's farewell match with Argentina at the Estadio Monumental. Asked whether a return to Rosario was genuinely possible, the Paraguayan official replied: Why not? His heart is there. Domínguez made clear that the final decision rests with the club and its fans, stressing that it depends on the president of Newell's and that they need Newell's to qualify, before adding his personal pitch: there is nothing that compares to the Copa Libertadores, it is unique, and it is something he deserves to play in. If I were a club president, I would do everything possible to bring him here.
The romantic vision is easy to picture: Messi, who joined Newell's at the age of six and scored nearly 500 goals for the club's fabled Machine of '87 before leaving for Barcelona at 13, closing his story at the Parque Independencia just as Ángel Di María has done across town at Rosario Central. Domínguez explicitly made the comparison, noting how wonderful it would be to watch Leo play in Argentina's stadiums. The practical obstacles, however, are considerable. Messi is under contract with Inter Miami until late 2028, and Newell's must first prove they belong among the continent's elite: the Rosario side currently sit sixth in their group, and reaching the Copa Libertadores would likely require domestic silverware or a top-five aggregate finish. There is also the question of what Messi himself wants. As recently as June he admitted the idea of playing for Newell's had always been there, yet reports earlier this week indicated he is no longer considering a return to Rosario, as player or executive, with his post-retirement focus firmly on club ownership in the United States and Spain.
It's worth noting that Messi's numbers on the night Domínguez spoke were a fitting backdrop for such speculation: Monday's 1-0 win over Benin was his 208th and final appearance for Argentina, closing a 21-year international career as the country's all-time record holder with 126 goals, two World Cup finals, and the 2022 trophy. For now he returns to Miami to chase the MLS Cup, while Newell's supporters are left with a tantalising challenge laid down by the most powerful man in South American football: qualify for the Libertadores, and perhaps the greatest player of all time will come home.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
