Lionel Messi extends his stay with Inter Miami and will stay in the MLS until 2028

Lionel Messi has finally agreed to a new three-year contract with Inter Miami, which will keep him in Major League Soccer (MLS) beyond the 2026 World Cup.

The deal was announced one day before Miami’s playoff opener against Nashville. Messi’s team – number three in the Eastern Conference – will host Game 1 of that best-of-three series on Friday evening.

The Herons announced the move in a social media post, with Messi signing the contract at the new stadium with the caption: ‘HE’S HOME’.

Messi’s decision to stay in Miami is a big one for both the club and MLS. He was the league’s MVP last season and is the overwhelming choice to win the award again this year, which would make him only the second two-time winner in league history and the first to win this award in consecutive years. Preki won the MVP award in 1997 and 2003.

“To enjoy him, to see him enjoy the things he does, he is very, very competitive and he tries to translate that to the team,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Thursday. «The best way to help him is to try to do the right things. He has to feel comfortable on the field. He feels comfortable when things work the right way.»

“If we do things the right way, we have a lot of chances for success with him.”

Messi won the MLS Golden Boot this season after scoring 29 goals, five more than LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville’s Sam Surridge. He also had 19 assists and his total of 48 goals fell just short of tying Carlos Vela’s MLS record of 49 in 2019.

This season, Messi scored multiple goals in five consecutive games – making him the first MLS player to achieve such a feat – and had ten games with multiple goals, another league record. The previous figure was eight such games.

Messi is 38, which probably makes this contract his last as a professional player. He has played at professional level for more than half his life and made his debut for Barcelona in 2004 as a 17-year-old.

Published on October 23, 2025