Lionel Messi is with the Argentina squad preparing for the World Cup in Russia. Marcelo Endelli / Getty Images
Lionel Messi is with the Argentina squad preparing for the World Cup in Russia. Marcelo Endelli / Getty Images

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi wants to play for Newell's Old Boys 'one day'



Lionel Messi has said he would like to play for Argentine club Newell's Old Boys before he retires, having spent his entire career at Barcelona.

Messi, 30, left Newell's at 13 years old to join Barcelona and has gone on to become the club's most illustrious player. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has revealed that he hopes one day to return to his first club some time in his career.

"I'm increasingly sure that in Europe, Barcelona will be my only club," Messi, who has a contract at Barcelona until 2021, told Argentine television station El Trece.

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"I always said I wanted to play in Argentine football one day, I don't know if it will happen but I have it in my mind.

"It would be at Newell's, nowhere else. I would like to do that for at least six months, but you never know what will happen."

Messi is preparing for the World Cup in Russia and insisted the possibility of playing for Spain, who won the trophy in 2010, never crossed his mind.

"The other day I was talking to a friend and he told me 'if you had chosen Spain, you'd be a World Cup winner already', but it wouldn't have been the same," said Messi, who reached the World Cup final in 2014 when Argentina lost in extra time to Germany.

"Obviously in no moment did I think about doing that. To win it with Argentina would be something unique."