Newell's confident over Messi return

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi could return to boyhood club Newell's Old Boys after the 2018 World Cup, according to the Argentine side's vice-president Cristian D'Amico.

Messi, 29, was at the club as a boy before moving to Barca's famed La Masia academy and developing into arguably the best player ever. Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer has long been linked with a return to Newell's before his retirement.

Now, D'Amico has again opened up on the possibility of a Messi return and believes it will happen.

"I am convinced, like many of my peers, that we can make history as a club if we get the best player in the world in a Newell's shirt," he said. "I think we're going to get the pleasure of Messi wearing the shirt."

D'Amico knows how big an impact Messi would have if he came back to the Rosario-based club.

"Imagine a game with Messi in the Coloso [Estadio Marcelo Bielsa], with the press around the world," he said. "The sponsors who would come... that would make a difference economically, apart from the sentimental value, and could make a big difference to clean up the debts."