Newell’s Old Boys inaugurates new stand named after Lionel Messi

Newell’s Old Boys announced the naming of a new stand at their Coloso Marcelo Bielsa stadium to honor Lionel Messi — coinciding with his 38th birthday.

The stadium already features a stand named after another Argentine legend, Diego Maradona — who played for the club during the 1993-94 season.

“Today, Coloso writes a new page,” the Rosario-based club posted on Instagram.

“For the first time, the two most powerful names in soccer history live under the same roof: OURS.”

Lionel Messi — who started his career in Newell’s academy at age six before moving to Barcelona — has achieved remarkable success by winning the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles with Argentina, along with eight Ballon d’Or awards.

The new stand will increase the stadium capacity to 50,000 spectators — which has been named after Marcelo Bielsa since 2009 to honor the former player and coach.