Lionel Messi will face his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys after the Argentine team agreed to play a friendly against Inter Miami in February ahead of the start of the 2024 MLS season. Inter Miami announced that they will host Newell’s at their home stadium, DRV PNK, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on February 15th.
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Newell’s is a team from the city of Rosario, where Messi was born and raised, playing in the youth teams before moving to Barcelona at the age of 13. Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino is also a native of Rosario and had three spells as a player at Newell’s before returning as the team’s coach in 2012.
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“I’m very happy to welcome my beloved Newell’s to our home here in Miami. It will be a special game for everything Newell’s Old Boys means to me,” said ‘El Tata’ Martino.
This match will be the last of a busy pre-season schedule for Inter Miami, who will begin their preparations by facing the El Salvador team in San Salvador, on January 19th. They will then play two matches in Saudi Arabia, including a clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, before friendlies in Hong Kong and Tokyo.