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Argentina icon Juan Roman Riquelme reportedly dreams of having Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi in his farewell game scheduled for June 24 or 25 at La Bombonera.
As per PSGTalk (h/t SportsBrief), Riquelme wants to hold his farewell game eight and a half years after retiring from the sport. He wants Messi, who is his close friend, to be present for the match.
The two shared the dressing room 27 times for Argentina and played together at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Riquelme was on Barcelona's books from 2002 to 2005 but never played alongside Lionel Messi, who made his senior club debut in October 2004.
The Argentine midfielder was sent on a two-year loan spell to Villarreal in the summer of 2003 before a permanent transfer materialised. He's considered a legend at Boca Juniors, where he played 226 games across competitions and won the Copa Libertadores thrice.
Riquelme also won the Argentine Primera Division five times with the Azul y Oro over multiple spells at the club. Boca, of course, play their home games at the iconic Alberto Jose Armando Stadium, aka La Bombonera.
The 44-year-old, who's the Argentine giants' vice-president, has delayed his farewell game for several reasons, including club elections, COVID-19 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
What Riquelme said after PSG's Lionel Messi won World Cup with Argentina?
Joan Roman Riquelme only played in one FIFA World Cup (2006), where Argentina were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Germany.
The Villarreal playmaker was one of the countless former Argentine internationals who were gleaming with joy when Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup in Qatar last year.
Speaking about Messi's triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Riquelme told ESPN in January, via TyC Sports (h/t PSGTalk):
"I thank the players for the joy they gave us to all Argentines. For those who like football, it was beautiful to see Messi lift the Cup. Not only we wanted that. I think there have been very few times in history that everyone has agreed that he deserved to win it. I am very happy that he has achieved it."
Messi won the Golden Ball in Qatar after netting seven goals and providing three assists in seven games. The 35-year-old recently became the third male player to score 100 international goals when he scored a hat-trick in his team's 7-0 friendly win against Curacao in March.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar has 102 goals in 174 senior appearances for La Albiceleste
