Lionel Messi is expected to follow Neymar’s lead and return to hometown club Newell’s Old Boys following his spell in MLS with Inter Miami.
After a disappointing stint with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, Neymar has returned to Brazil to play for his childhood club Santos. The attacker is attempting to rediscover form and fitness at Santos following an injury-ravaged period in the Middle East, and he has just been nominated to Brazil’s team for forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina. Santos president Marcelo Teixeiro has previously stated that he hopes Neymar would remain with the club until after the 2026 World Cup.
Messi is now being tipped to follow Neymar’s example and head back to his homeland for one final stint before hanging up his boots. Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit thinks Messi could be tempted back to Argentina, where he began his career with Newell’s Old Boys, but expects another legend of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo, to stay put in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr.
Petit told CasinoAppsThatPayRealMoney.com: “If there is one more move for Lionel Messi it would be wanting to finish his career in Argentina, look at how well Neymar is doing back in Brazil, he is like a Phoenix from the flames. Having said that, Messi looks very happy in Miami with his team-mates, living in the sun and being the biggest star in the MLS at 37. With Ronaldo, I can’t see him leaving, he is 40 and has a huge contract in Saudi Arabia, it’s not just about money but he is also the star. He’ll be happy to finish his career there.”
