According to reports in Spain, Lionel Messi has no plans to extend his deal with Inter Miami. He will leave the club in 2025 to return to Newell’s Old Boys. 

Since moving to Miami in the summer, Messi has taken US soccer by storm. He scored 11 goals in his first 12 games and helped Inter win its first Leagues Cup.

This has been a crazy start for the 36-year-old, who has also brought the team’s hopes of making the MLS playoffs back to life.

With Messi on the team from the start, Miami should avoid the playoff battle and easily make it there over the next two seasons, until his deal runs out in 2025.

El Nacional, a newspaper in Catalonia, says that he doesn’t want to sign an extension when the current deal ends.

Instead, Messi is said to be leaving Miami and making an emotional return to the club where he played as a child, Newell’s. He wants to end his legendary career there.

Messi’s first official team was Newell’s, which he joined when he was six years old. He played for the Rosario team for five years before Barcelona came calling.

Leaving his first professional team behind, he went on to become one of, if not the, best soccer players of all time.

According to reports, Messi wants to end his career on a high note by retiring with Newell’s. This is bad news for Miami, who probably wanted to sign him to a new deal soon.

The Argentina captain has a special connection with Newell’s and has often said that he wants to return to the club one day.

“I’ve said many times that my dream is to play at Newell’s, but I don’t know what will happen, and part of that doubt is due to the way the country is at the moment,” he said in 2017. This was said because of safety worries in his home country. 

“I have a family, and my kids come first. Then I do.” It’s important to me that they grow up in a safe and peaceful place.

Messi has gone back to Newell’s for a short time several times over the years, most recently for the testimonial for former partner Maxi Rodriguez in June of this year.

The all-time great soccer player caused chaos in the stands when he walked out onto the field at Rosaria. Fans set off a sea of red flares and fireworks.