Inter Miami to host friendly
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Lionel Messi will have an Old Boys reunion.
So will Tata Martino, the Inter Miami coach who played and coached for the Argentine soccer club during his career.
Inter Miami will host Newell’s Old Boys, the club located in Rosario, Argentina – hometown of both Messi and Martino – during a friendly in February.
The match will be held on Feb. 15 inside Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Tickets will go on sale to the public, beginning Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET.
Messi played with Newell’s Old Boys until he was 13 before joining F.C. Barcelona. It is believed Messi scored 234 goals, while wearing the red and black for his hometown team.
Martino has the most appearances of any player in the club’s history, winning titles in 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1992. He also coached the club to another title in 2013.
“I am delighted to welcome my beloved Newell’s to our home here in Miami. It will be a special match due to everything Newell’s Old Boys means to me,” Martino said in a statement.
“It will also be a good opportunity to prepare for what will surely be an exciting season.”
The Inter Miami-Newell’s announcement comes one year after Messi led Argentina to a thrilling World Cup victory in Qatar last December.
Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, will be in store for a busy international preseason schedule with Inter Miami early next year.
Miami’s Major League Soccer squad will travel to play in El Salvador, China, Saudi Arabia and Japan for five matches, including one pitting Messi against rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr in February.
Here are Inter Miami’s preseason dates
∎ The El Salvador national team at the Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador on Jan. 19.
∎ Al-Hilal on Jan. 29 and Al-Nassr (against Ronaldo) on Feb. 1 in the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia.
∎ A match in Hong Kong, where Inter Miami will face a collection of the best players from the Hong Kong First Division League on Feb. 4.
∎ A match against Vissel Kobe at the Japan National Stadium on Feb. 7.
∎ Inter Miami vs. Newell’s Old Boys at DRV PNK Stadium on Feb. 15.
