Franco Díaz along with his Newell’s teammates played 60 minutes against Lionel Messi, the greatest soccer player ever, oh and he is also a Newell’s Old Boys supporter and former youth player.

It is reported that Messi scored over 500 goals playing for Newell’s youth side, but he never turned pro in Argentina, rather moving to Barcelona to play for the Catalan Giants. The 1-1 draw was an afterthought, getting a picture of Messi wasn’t for Franco Díaz.

Franco Díaz statement after hugging Messi

“I’m going to get this hug tattooed, it’s the best moment of my life. I always sided with him, and if someone spoke badly about (Messi) they wanted to fight me. I told (Messi) I love him, that’s how I feel. I’m going to be a dad and I’m going to name my son Lionel. My wife knows she has no chance with (Messi)” Diaz stated to DSports Radio.

Franco Díaz is a midfielder and is 23, and he has played for various clubs in Argentina before landing at Newell’s this season where he has played all 5 games.

Messi stopped to take a picture with all of the Newell’s players one by one after their preseason friendly ended on Thursday evening.

Messi joined Newell’s when he was just six years old and played for six years and scored almost 500 goals being a member of a youth side known as “The Machine of ’87”.

Despite his unquestionable talent, Messi was not signed by Newell’s because he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. FC Barcelona would eventually find Messi, pay for his treatment, and move his family to Spain where he would eventually become the best player of all-time.

About Newell’s Old Boys

Newell’s Old Boys was founded in 1903 and is one of the most successful clubs from outside the Buenos Aires area of Argentina. Known for a passionate fan base and a list of world class players, Newell’s has won 6 Argentine leagues, three national cups before soccer became professional, and were finalists of the Copa Libertadores on two occasions.

Some of the most notable players that have played for the club are Gabriel Batistuta, Abel Balbo, Jorge Valdano, Américo Gallego, Mario Zanabria, Gustavo Dezotti, Roberto Sensini, Walter Samuel, Mauricio Pochettino, René Pontoni, Gerardo Tata Martino, Ángel Perucca, Gabriel Heinze, Maxi Rodríguez, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi (youth only).

Inter Miami manager Tata Martino has the most appearances for the club with 505 games, and most notably the club’s stadium is named after Marcelo Bielsa, who coached for well over 20 years at Newell’s, starting at the youth ranks and being the first team manager for three years, where Bielsa won two championships.

Bielsa has also contributed enormously to fund reformations to the stadium and grounds. Currently Newell’s are second in group B of the Copa de La Liga in Argentina, an MLS style inter-league cup, separated by divisions and includes a playoff phase.

[Watch Newell’s vs River Plate online in the US on Fanatiz]

As expected, River Plate are fighting for the first place in the Argentine League. With 27 points, they are the leaders with a difference of 4 points with San Lorenzo, who are their immediate pursuers. Demichelis‘s team comes from a quiet victory against Gimnasia.

However, now they have a much tougher opponent ahead of them. Itis nothing less than Newell’s, who although so far in the tournament has alternated good and badperformances, in recent games they have looked good and could complicate River. They seek to obtainpoints that allow them to get closer to the qualification positions for the Copa Libertadores.

When will Newell’s vs River Plate be played?

The Matchday 12 game of the 2023 Argentine League between Newell’s and River Plate will be played at the Coloso del Parque Marcelo Bielsa Stadium today, April 16 at 6:00 PM (ET).

Newell’s vs River Plate: Time by State in the US

ET: 6:00 PM
CT: 5:00 PM
MT: 4:00 PM
PT: 3:00 PM

TV channel in the US to watch Newell’s vs River Plate

This Matchday 12 game of the 2023 Argentine League between Newell’s and River Plate will be broadcast in the United States on Fanatiz and Paramount +. Other options: TyC Sports International, VIX+.

The Xeneize came from losing the classic to Independiente 1-0. While they’re currently qualifying for the Copa Libertadores 2022, they can’t afford to lose more points because they could lose their spot. Sebastián Battaglia’s men have been inconsistent in their last matches, so they need to recover.

Meanwhile, Newell’s are coming to this match after winning three of the last four games, but the team is in the 18th place of the standings, very far from the qualification to the continental cups. However, they want to keep adding points to end the tournament in good form.

Boca Juniors vs Newell’s: Match Information

Date: Sunday, November 28, 2021.
Time: 7.30 PM (ET).
Location: La Bombonera, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Boca Juniors vs Newell’s: Time by State in the US

ET: 7.30 PM
CT: 6.30 PM
MT: 5.30 PM
PT: 4.30 PM

Boca Juniors vs Newell’s: Storylines

So far, Boca and Newell’s have faced each other on 72 occasions, with El Xeneize winning 31 matches so far. Newell’s have won 20 and they have drawn 20 times. Their most recent match took place in February with Boca winning 1-0.

How to watch or live stream Boca Juniors vs Newell’s in the US

The match between Boca Juniors and Newell’s or the Matchday 23 of the 2021 Liga Profesional to be played today, November 28, 2021 will be broadcasted in the US by Paramount+ and FuboTV. You can also watch it on TyC Sports Internacional.

Boca Juniors vs Newell’s: Predictions and odds

Bookmakers in the US have already revealed their odds for this match. According to FanDuel, Boca Juniors are the strong favorites to win this match with odds of -280, while Newell’s have odds of +700. A tie would end up in a +300 payout.

*Odds by FanDuel

The hosts are far from doing fine as they carry a five-game winless streak (L3 D2). Fernando Gamboa took the reins of the Lepra aiming to turn things around afterGerman Burgos‘ poor stint butthe team hasn’tshoneunder him either.

On the other hand, the Millonario bounced back aftertough weeks in which they were knocked out both of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Argentina. River’s form ahead of this clash is the opposite to that of Newell’s, as they were unbeaten in their last five matches(W3 D2).

Newell’s vs River Plate: Match Information

Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Time: 8 PM (ET)
Location: Estadio Marcelo Bielsa, Rosario

Newell’s vs River Plate: Time by State in the US

ET: 8 PM
CT: 7 PM
MT: 6 PM
PT: 5 PM

Newell’s vs River Plate: Storylines andHead-to-Head

Newell’s Old Boys hoped to find in Fernando Gamboa their saviour after German Burgos’ terrible spell. However, things have not been easy for the Lepra lately, as their latest win goes back to Matchday 5 against Platense. Last time out, they drew withreigning champions Colon 1-1.

Life has been much happier for River Plate recently. Marcelo Gallardo‘s men racked up five games without defeatalthough there’s plenty of room for improvement. On Matchday 10 their derby against Independiente ended in a 1-1 tie.

These two familiar foes will meet forthe 159th time. River Plate have the edge in the all-time series with75 victories, while Newell’s Old Boys emerged victoriousin 42 games, and they shared the points on 41 occasions.

Newell’s vs River Plate: 2021 Argentine Liga Profesional Standings

After 10 weeks of action, River Plate are chasing the top spots closely as they sitfourth with 18 points, justfive shy of leaders Talleres and Lanus. Newell’s are way deeper in the table, sitting 18th with just 12 points.

How to watch or live stream Newell’s vs River Plate in the US

The game to be played between Newell’s Old Boys and River Plate in the 2021 Argentine Liga Profesional will be broadcast in the US byPrendeTV, Paramount+, and TyC Sports Internacional.

Newell’s vs River Plate: Predictions and Odds

Bookmakers in the US have already unveiled their predictions. Unsurprisingly, FanDuel sees River Plate as favorites with odds of -145, while Newell’s have +350, and a tie would result in a +260 payout.

* Odds via FanDuel.