(CNN Spanish) –– Lionel Messi took a few days off in Argentina to have fun with his family. The stop along the way is in Funes, a town located 16 kilometers from Rosario, in the province of Santa Fe, where the star has her home, surrounded by luxuries and comforts to the rhythm of tranquillity.
Messi arrived in his home country on Saturday after playing in Argentina’s 2-0 win against Australia last Thursday in Beijing. In that friendly, “La Pulga” scored the fastest goal of the 103 scored with the albiceleste 79 seconds into the match.
Messi also arrives in his homeland six months after being crowned world champion in Qatar: “Half a year has passed since we built the most beautiful of all. Six months in which I couldn’t stop thinking about everything we’ve experienced, how much we fought it and how we still enjoy it today,” he said.
That jubilation, which lives on in the captain of the Argentine team, comes the moment he turns the page in his life. He left France after two seasons at Paris Saint Germain (PSG) with lime and sand experiences. He gave away two Olympic laps, but the inclement in some areas of the French experience led him to slam the door on the chapter on French soil.
“I learned that it’s not just about winning and that the road traveled also leaves you with many life lessons”, he reflected in the documentary “Alta en el cielo” that Adidas, sponsor of the Argentine team, made on the occasion of the end of the semester of the global enterprise
Present at the farewell of Maximiliano Rodríguez
On June 24, the day Messi turns 36, he will be at the Marcelo Bielsa stadium of Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario, where his friend and former teammate of the Argentine team, Maximiliano Rodriguez, will play the farewell match of his professional life .
There he will dress in blue and white for a party attended by friends, former teammates and current players of the Argentine team. The stadium should be packed with “leprous” fans, as Newell’s fans are called, the club where the football star began to love the sport. Wearing this shirt, which he wore in his youth football phase, would be one of the special gems of the event which, according to many, will paralyze Rosario.
In the Bombonera for Juan Román Riquelme’s farewell party
Just 24 hours later, Messi will be in Buenos Aires. In the temple of football, the Bombonera, he will be the absolute protagonist of the farewell to the idol of Boca Juniors, Juan Román Riquelme.
“Messi will be there. It’s a dream for me too. He’s the greatest player of all time,” said Riquelme, proving Argentina’s frenzy for Rosario’s star.
The mythical Xeneize stadium will be a sounding board for the warm love story that the Argentines feel for one of the great icons in the history of football.
“The road traveled also leaves you with many life lessons,” says the Rosario star, who has taken a turn at the helm betting on Major League Soccer in the US, MLS.
“Messi will have a lot of fun in MLS, they will receive him very well and he will make Inter grow,” said Thiago Almada, “La Pulga’s” teammate in the Argentina national team and Atlanta United player. .
Messi met Martino
The Albiceleste captain met this Monday with Gerardo Martino, who was his coach at FC Barcelona in the 2013-2014 season and also in the Argentina team, with which he reached two finals: Copa América Chile 2015 and Copa Centenario United States 2016. In addition to uniting them the love they both feel for Newell’s; Will a third round of players and coaches in US soccer unite them?
The last week of June, Messi will continue to rest in Rosario. In July the star will already be installed in Miami to be presented as the flagship star of Inter Milan and MLS. Winner of 43 titles, 7 Ballon d’Ors and many other accolades, another football awaits with a team bottom of the Eastern Conference and in position 27 out of 29 teams from both conferences.
It will be an extra challenge for this living legend who, in addition to his superlative talent, has made resilience a flag.
Now, he said confirming his commitment to MLS: “I want to experience the United States League in a different way and enjoy it much more day after day, but with the same responsibility of always wanting to win and do things well, but with more calm”.
A new career-ending episode begins in Miami. He does it in a league that is still feeling the tsunami that meant the arrival of one of the best players in history. As his career has been, Messi will go on a quest to continue falling in love with the magic of him, chasing titles and breaking records.
