Newell's Old Boys have unveiled a new Lionel Messi stand, with the Argentina superstar following in the footsteps of Diego Maradona.
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Lionel Messi stand unveiledNewell's Old Boys honour superstarReceives Maradona treatmentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
Messi was initially a member of the Newell's Old Boys academy before leaving to join Barcelona aged 13, and the Argentine club have moved to honour their boyhood star after his 38th birthday by naming a new stand after him at the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The Lionel Messi stand is the club's latest tribute to a legend of Argentinian football, with the stadium named after the club's former player and coach Bielsa, and another stand bearing the name "Pelusa", the nickname of Diego Maradona.
WHAT NEWELL'S OLD BOYS SAID
Newell's Old Boys posted a video on social media showing the new stand, with the caption: "The Colossus adds a new chapter. For the first time, two football legends share the same home: ours."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?
Newell's Old Boys still hope to persuade Messi to finish his professional career at the club, with club president Ignacio Astore claiming recently that he knows how much the World Cup-winning skipper "wants to come". A potential return may depend on whether Messi decides to renew his current contract at Inter Miami, which is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.
