Lionel Messi and Tata Martino ‘set for a reunion with boyhood club as Inter Miami agrees to face Newell’s Old Boys in Florida friendly next February’

Lionel Messi and his manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino will take on their former club after Inter Miami reportedly agreed to face Newell’s Old Boys during a friendly in Florida in February.

The match will be played on February 17 and will likely take place at the DRV PNK Stadium in Miami reports.

During his playing career, Martino made over 400 appearances for his hometown club, eventually managing the team for a year during the 2012–13 season before leaving for Barcelona.

Messi joined Newell’s academy when he was just six years old and is said to have scored more than 500 goals in the Old Boys youth teams before his move to Barcelona.

Inter Miami also recently announced that they will play a two-match tour of Asia in November when they take on Qingdao Hainiu in Qingdao, China on November 5, followed by a match against Chengdu Rongcheng in Chengdu, China on November 8.

Lionel Messi and Tata Martino are ready to face their old club when Miami plays Newell’s Old Boys

The Argentina team will reportedly play Miami in February, most likely at the DRV PNK Stadium

Messi previously wore a Newell’s shirt when he played for Barcelona in honor of Diego Maradona

“We are very excited to further expand our club’s global reach, allowing our team to play in front of incredible fans around the world.” said Xavier Asensi, Chief Business Officer of Inter Miami.

“This is a special opportunity to share the passion while reaching new audiences and exhibiting ourselves in new places, and we look forward to starting this adventure.”

“This will be a great opportunity to build on our 2023 campaign, which saw us achieve our first ever trophy,” sporting director and Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson added.

“We will use this as an opportunity to begin our preparations for 2024 as we look to build on last season and achieve greater success in the future.”