Now is the time: Keylor Navas arrived in Argentina on Thursday to formally join Newell’s Old Boys. The seasoned Costa Rican goalie makes his debut in Argentine football.
He saw Newell’s debut in the 2025 Apertura Tournament at the Coloso Marcelo Bielsa in Rosario, against Independiente Rivadavia from Mendoza, shortly after arriving.
In July 2024, Navas, 38, terminated his contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He played with four Argentine teammates while at PSG: Mauro Icardi, Leandro Paredes, Ángel Di María, and Lionel Messi from the 2021–2022 campaign.
Navas said, “I am very happy, thank you very much,” when he first arrived in Rosario. His remarkable career at Real Madrid, when he won the UEFA Champions League three times, is what made him famous.
Three of his former teammates are Rosario natives with ties to the city’s elite clubs: Messi was a member of Newell’s youth system prior to joining Barcelona, Icardi, a devoted Newell’s supporter, did not join the club’s youth ranks prior to traveling to Europe, and Di María began his career at Rosario Central before joining Benfica.
During the 2021–2022 season, Navas also worked for PSG under Argentinean head coach Mauricio Pochettino. In response to Navas’s arrival, the former Newell’s player said: “He is a fantastic person and one of the best goalkeepers I have ever coached. I hope that Newell’s gets this chance and that we are all united by the same experience of playing for the same team.”
Prior to his stay in France, Navas played alongside Argentinean Gustavo Cabral at Levante in the 2011–2012 campaign; Cabral had previously played for Racing before joining River Plate.
The game against Independiente Rivadavia also featured a Newell’s legend. Former star midfielder Gerardo Martino received an invitation and went to Newell’s Argentine competition debut.
In a friendly match in Los Angeles on March 26, 2024, Navas played his final game for the Costa Rican national team, losing 3-1 against Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina. He was reunited with Paredes and Di María throughout the match. His 15-year tenure with the national team, then coached by Argentinean Gustavo Alfaro, came to an end with this game.