Lionel Messi Signs Inter Miami Contract Extension Through 2028 Season

2 weeks ago

Lionel Messi has signed a multi-year statement hold pinch Inter Miami, sealing a woody that will support him successful South Florida until nan extremity of nan 2028 MLS season. The statement is expected to beryllium nan past of his master career.

Financial position of nan woody were not disclosed successful Miami’s announcement connected Thursday, but Messi has been MLS’s highest-paid subordinate by a region since joining nan nine successful nan summertime of 2023. His first woody paid him complete $20m per twelvemonth successful guaranteed compensation – much nan full payroll of astir two-thirds of nan 30-team convention successful 2025. His woody besides includes equity successful nan nine upon his status arsenic a player.

The hold will theoretically support Messi nether statement until he is 41 years old.

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“It makes maine really happy to enactment present and to proceed pinch this task that, too being a dream, has go a beautiful reality – playing successful this stadium, astatine Miami Freedom Park,” Messi said successful nan announcement. “Since I arrived successful Miami, I’ve been very happy, truthful I’m genuinely gladsome to support going here.”

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham added: “Our imagination was to bring nan champion players to Inter Miami and to this city, and that’s precisely what we person done. We brought nan champion subordinate to person ever played nan crippled to our city. That shows our committedness to Miami, but it besides shows Leo’s committedness to nan city, to nan club, and to nan game. He’s still arsenic committed arsenic he’s ever been and he still wants to win.”

The woody had been successful negotiations for months and accomplishes a cardinal extremity of Inter Miami proprietor Jorge Mas, who has said he wants Messi connected nan squad to inaugurate nan team’s caller stadium, which is owed to unfastened for nan 2026 season. Inter Miami’s Instagram station announcing nan hold shows Messi signing his statement amid nan building tract for nan caller stadium.

Since opening life arsenic an description squad successful 2020 and passim nan Messi era truthful far, Miami person played astatine nan 21,500-capacity Chase Stadium successful adjacent Fort Lauderdale.

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Messi’s clip successful MLS has been fruitful for nan player, squad and convention alike. Inter Miami person go nan destination of prime for Messi’s ex-teammates looking for different tally pinch nan Argentinian superstar. This includes ex-Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets, on pinch Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Javier Mascherano, Messi’s erstwhile teammate pinch Argentina and Barcelona, is successful his first twelvemonth arsenic Miami’s caput coach.

On nan field, Messi has thrived successful MLS. The World Cup victor has scored 71 goals pinch 37 assists successful 82 appearances, starring Miami to nan 2023 Leagues Cup title and nan 2024 Supporters’ Shield. Miami opens their 2025 MLS Cup playoffs travel connected Friday pinch a best-of-three bid against Nashville SC. MLS Cup remains nan club’s past dream for a trophy successful 2025, pinch nan Herons having missed retired connected nan Supporters’ Shield. They were besides eliminated from nan Leagues Cup, nan Concacaf Champions Cup, and nan Club World Cup.

Messi was named nan MLS MVP successful 2024 contempt missing astir half nan play pinch an ankle injury, and is each but definite to triumph nan grant again successful 2025. If that happens, Messi will go nan first subordinate to triumph nan grant doubly since Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic did truthful successful 1997 and 2003 for nan Kansas City Wizards (now known arsenic Sporting Kansas City).

Messi is expected to subordinate Argentina for nan 2026 World Cup successful nan United States, Mexico and Canada, having helped nan reigning champions suffice for nan tourney pinch comparative ease.