Inter Miami has confirmed that Lionel Messi has agreed to an extension to his contract that will allow him to play in Major League Soccer (MLS) until the end of the 2028 season.
The simple caption “He’s Home” reads, “He’s Home,” and a video of Messi signing a contract was posted on Inter Miami’s X feed, which is currently being constructed in Miami, Florida, in the US.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
In a club statement, Messi, 38, stated, “It makes me really happy to stay here and continue with this project that has also turned out to be a dream and has turned into a beautiful reality – playing in this stadium, at Miami Freedom Park.
Messi continued, “I’ve been very happy since I arrived in Miami, so I’m truly glad to keep going here.”
David Beckham, the co-owner of Inter Miami, said Messi’s decision to stay extended was in line with his “commitment to the city, the club, and the game.”
Beckham remarked, “He still wants to win and is still as committed as he has ever been.” We consider ourselves fortunate as owners to have a player who loves the game as much as he does, who has contributed to the game’s advancement as he has, and who can inspire the next generation of young talent as he does.”
The 2025 MLS season’s current contract expires at the end of the World Cup winner’s reign.
After club sources told AFP last month that the franchise had reached an extension agreement, the new agreement had been seen as a formality.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico host the World Cup in 2026, but Messi’s contract guarantees that he will continue competing until the end of that year.
After a turbulent time at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi left for Inter Miami in 2023, and he has since had a transformative impact on the league, generating record attendances and generating ticket sales.
As he welcomed the news of Messi’s contract extension, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said on Thursday, “When Lionel Messi made MLS his league of choice, it marked a turning point for Inter Miami as well as for our entire sport in North America.
After graduating from the Spanish giants’ youth system in 2004, Messi spent the majority of his stellar career at Barcelona. He played there from 2004 to 2021.
He won the La Liga title ten times at Barcelona and four times the UEFA Champions League title.
He led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup victory in Qatar, and he wants to try to keep the trophy the following year.
He has won the Copa America twice with Argentina in 2021 and 2024 and has 114 international goals.
Although Messi could be matched by Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi could compete in a sixth World Cup next year, which would establish a new all-time record.
The eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or has 16 career World Cup goals, just three goals short of Miroslav Klose’s.
Argentina comfortably advanced to the finals of the following year, coming in nine points clear of South America.
In what may have been Messi’s final competitive game against Venezuela two weeks ago, he finished with eight goals, including a brace.
Even though Inter Miami did not make the playoffs, he was named the MLS’s most valuable player in the 2024 season.
He became the fastest player in MLS history to score 40 goals in 2025.
After finishing third in the Eastern Conference this year, Messi has resurrected Miami and placed it in contention for the playoffs.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply