Carlos Tevez planning Boca Juniors farewell with Messi and possible Ronaldo appearance

Carlos Tevez is planning to stage his long-awaited testimonial match at Boca Juniors’ iconic La Bombonera stadium in December, with Lionel Messi expected to take part and Cristiano Ronaldo potentially invited.

The former Argentina international has reportedly contacted Boca Juniors president Juan Roman Riquelme to discuss hosting the game at the club’s home ground, according to Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports.

The match is expected to be held on one of four possible dates: 12, 13, 19 or 20 December. The final decision will depend on the scheduling of Argentina’s domestic competitions.

Tevez is planning to create two teams for the occasion. One side will feature friends from his football career as well as people he knew from the neighbourhood where he grew up. The other would be made up of players who shared part of his career.

About 60 football stars are expected to attend the event. Messi is set to be involved, while Ronaldo, Tevez’s former team-mate at Manchester United, could also be invited.

Tevez stopped playing football in 2021, several months before the end of his contract with Boca Juniors at the time. Since retiring, he has moved into management, taking charge of Rosario Central, Independiente and Talleres de Cordoba.

The 42-year-old had three separate spells with Boca Juniors and made 279 appearances for the club, scoring 94 goals and winning 11 trophies.

He came through Boca’s youth system before making his first-team debut in 2001 at the age of 16. In 2005, he left Argentina for Brazil, joining Corinthians before moving to the Premier League with West Ham United.

Tevez subsequently played for Manchester United and Manchester City, where he became one of the most prominent forwards in English football. He later moved to Juventus before returning to Boca Juniors at the age of 31, having spent 10 years away from the club.

His return saw him spend three seasons with Boca before completing a move to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in 2017.

Tevez then made what was described as his final return to Boca Juniors in 2017 and remained associated with the club through to 2020. His proposed retirement match would give former team-mates, international colleagues and close friends the chance to celebrate his career at the stadium where he first established himself as one of Argentina’s leading players.