Lionel Messi has agreed to a contract extension with Inter Miami, keeping the Argentine superstar in Major League Soccer (MLS) until the end of the 2028 season, the club announced.
Inter Miami’s X Feed posted a video of Messi signing the contract while sitting at a table in the center of the club’s new Freedom Park stadium in Miami, Florida, with the simple caption: “His hometown.”
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“I’m really happy to stay here and continue this project,” the 38-year-old Messi said in a club statement. “This project was not only a dream, but also a beautiful reality: playing in this stadium, Miami Freedom Park.”
Messi added: “I’ve been very happy since I came to Miami, so I’m really happy to continue here.”
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said Messi’s decision to extend his contract reflected his “commitment to the city, the club and the game.”
“He’s as dedicated as ever and still wants to win,” Beckham said. “We feel extremely fortunate as owners to have a player who loves the game as much as he does, who has contributed so much to the game in this country, and who, like him, inspires the next generation of young talent.”
The World Cup winner’s current contract expires at the end of the 2025 MLS season.
The new deal was seen as a formality after club officials told AFP last month that an agreement had been reached on an extension.
Messi’s contract guarantees that he will continue to compete until the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and beyond.
Messi moved to Inter Miami in 2023 after a disappointing spell at Paris Saint-Germain, and has since had a transformative impact on the league, bringing in record attendances and ticket revenue.
“When Lionel Messi made MLS his league of choice, it was a turning point not only for Inter Miami, but for the entire sport in North America,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Thursday while welcoming the news of Messi’s contract extension.
Messi spent the majority of his glittering career at Barcelona, coming through the Spanish giants’ youth organization and playing there from 2004 to 2021.
With Barcelona, he won 10 La Liga titles and lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy four times.
He has expressed his intention to lead Argentina to glory at the Qatar World Cup in 2022 and strive to retain the trophy next year.
He has scored a total of 114 goals for his country and won the Copa America twice with Argentina in 2021 and 2024.
Messi could play in his sixth World Cup next year, which would set a new all-time record, but could also equal his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is just three goals shy of Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals.
Argentina finished at the top of the South American qualifiers with a nine-point lead, comfortably securing a spot in next year’s tournament.
Messi was the top scorer with eight goals, including two in what could be his last match for his country against Venezuela two weeks ago.
Although Inter Miami lost in the playoffs, he was named MLS’s Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season.
In 2025, he became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 40 goals.
This season, Messi led Miami back to the playoffs after finishing third in the Eastern Conference.
He capped Inter Miami’s regular season with an impressive hat trick in last Saturday’s 5-2 win over Nashville SC, scoring 29 goals in 28 games and winning MLS’s Golden Boot award.
