Barcelona star Lionel Messi has conceded that he wishes to return to playing football in Argentina before he calls time on his career.
Prior to join the Barca academy in 2001, the 28-year-old began his career with Newell’s Old Boys and has since gone on to win numerous La Liga titles, Champions League winners’ medals and Ballon d’Or awards.
Although he insists that he doesn’t have an immediate intention of leaving Spain, he has revealed that a return to his homeland is something that would interest him in the coming years.
“It’s something that I would still like to do. I don’t know when, but it’s a possibility,” he told Argentinian magazine El Grafico, as noted by Sky Sports.
“I haven’t set myself any goals, short or long term, but I’d like to keep playing whilst my body allows it and I have something to offer the team. When I know that it’s time, I’ll make a decision.”
Meanwhile, he also reiterated his desire to win more team accolades rather than individual awards, specifically with the Argentine national team.
Having underachieved in recent years and fallen short at the 2014 World Cup, Messi will be desperate to end that barren run as he continues to close in on the all-time goalscoring scoring record of 57 set by Gabriel Batistuta with 49 goals of his own thus far.
While he has plenty more to achieve in Europe, it would arguably be a fitting way to end his career, and certainly the sentimental choice, were he to return to where it all began.
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