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Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi controls the ball during the Major League Soccer (MLS) non-conference regular season soccer match between Inter Miami CF and Seattle Sounders FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on September 16, 2025. — AFP
#Messi #extends #stay #Inter #Miami
Miami: Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is set to stay with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami for the long haul after signing a new contract that runs until 2028, the club confirmed on Thursday.
The Argentina star, who joined the club in 2023, said he was “very happy” to continue his journey in Miami and described it as a dream come true.
The new deal means fans will see Messi lead the team for several more seasons as he continues to make his mark in Major League Soccer.
Inter Miami’s XFeed posted a video of Messi signing the contract sitting at a table in the middle of the club’s new Freedom Park stadium, which is under construction, with the simple caption: “He’s home.”
“I’m really happy to be here and continue this project that has become not only a dream, but also a beautiful reality – to play in this stadium at Miami Freedom Park,” Messi, 38, said in a club statement.
“Since I got to Miami, I’m very happy, so I’m really happy to go here,” Messi added.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said Messi’s decision to extend reflected his “commitment to the city, to the club, to the game”.
“He’s still as determined as he’s ever been and he still wants to win,” Beckham said. “As owners, we feel very fortunate to have a player who loves the game as much as he does, and who has done as much for the game in this country and to inspire the next generation of young talent.”
The World Cup winner’s current contract expires at the end of the 2025 MLS season.
Club sources told AFP last month that a new deal was seen as a sign that the franchise had agreed an extension.
Messi’s contract ensures he will remain in competitive action beyond and beyond the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Messi moved to Inter Miami in 2023 after an unhappy spell at Paris Saint-Germain and has since had a transformative impact on the league, with record attendances and increased ticket revenue.
“When Lionel Messi made MLS the choice he wanted, it marked a turning point,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said Thursday as he welcomed the news of Messi’s contract extension.
Messi spent most of his illustrious career at Barcelona, where he played from 2004 to 2021 after coming through the youth system at the Spanish giants.
At Barcelona, he won the La Liga title 10 times and lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy on four occasions.
In 2022, he led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar and has expressed his desire to try to retain the trophy next year.
He has scored 114 international goals and won the Copa América twice with Argentina, in 2021 and 2024.
MLS Goal History
Messi could play in a sixth World Cup next year, which would set a new all-time record, although he could be matched by Portugal’s long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is also just three goals short of Miroslav Klose’s career World Cup record of 16 goals.
Argentina comfortably booked a place in next year’s finals, nine points clear at the top of the South American qualifying table.
Messi finished as top scorer with eight goals, including a brace in what could be his last competitive match on home soil against Venezuela two weeks ago.
He was named the MLS Most Valuable Player in the 2024 season despite Inter Miami being eliminated in the playoffs.
In 2025, he became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 40 goals.
This season, Messi has led Miami back to the playoffs after finishing third in the Eastern Conference.
He capped Inter Miami’s regular season campaign with a stunning hat trick in last Saturday’s 5-2 demolition of Nashville SC, leaving him with 29 goals from 28 matches to win the MLS Golden Boot Award.
