'We want to bring Lionel Messi back!' - How Spanish second-tier club plans to stage unlikely friendly against Argentina superstar & Inter Miami, and why it could be possible - explained

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner scored one of the sensational goals of his career at the Estadio La Romareda against Real Zaragoza in the 2009-10 season while he was with Barcelona. Since that iconic goal, much has changed for both Messi and Zaragoza - Los Manos are no longer a Spanish top-flight outfit whereas the Argentine finds himself in an entirely new continent plying his trade across the Atlantic for Inter Miami.

Nonetheless, there is an air of optimism in the Spanish province of Aragon that they could lure Messi to grace the Romareda once again in the near future. Their lofty ambition is not entirely far-fetched as Inter Miami’s American co-owner Jorge Mas holds 51 per cent of the shares in Zarazoga.

Zaragoza’s director general Raul Sanllehi told The Athletic: "He scored one of his most beautiful goals in our stadium. We want to bring him back and play again here.”

In 2023, Zaragoza played Millonarios in a pre-season friendly, they want to host the Herons in a similar match in the northeast of Spain.

“They know this and understand the benefits. Jorge Mas wants to bring Inter Miami to Zaragoza. One of Messi’s best goals was in the Romareda," he added.

Zaragoza has a storied history of competing alongside giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona for honours in Spain and Europe. However, the club's fortunes took a downturn in 2013 when they were relegated from La Liga and have since struggled to reclaim their place in the top tier. But Mas is keeping no stone unturned to revive the lost glory of the club and has already invested a fortune to settle the debts of the club which were "ten times" the income.

The partnership between Zaragoza and Inter Miami, fuelled by Mas’ dual ownership, could make the dream of hosting a friendly match with Messi a reality. Such a match would not only rekindle nostalgic memories but also significantly boost the club’s profile and fan engagement. Nonetheless, in the short term, Zaragoza will be in action against Racing Ferrol on Sunday, whereas, Inter Miami will host DC United on Saturday evening in an MLS fixture.