Lionel Messi and Inter Miami would like to keep their partnership going.
The player and club are close to finalizing a new multi-year contract to keep the forward in Miami, per ESPN. There are reportedly a few details left to iron out, but the deal is expected to be done soon and then sent to Major League Soccer for final approval.
There were rumors linking Messi to other clubs and leagues, most notably Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli being “ready to do whatever it takes” to land the living legend. Saudi Arabia’s government previously pursued Messi to join its domestic league with some eye-watering numbers when he first left Paris Saint-Germain, but he ended up taking a (still very expensive) deal with Miami.
Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023 and his tenure has overall been successful, but with some notable disappointments. Miami immediately won its first title with the Leagues Cup in 2023 and set an MLS record for points while winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2024, only to get stunned by Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS playoffs.
Miami currently sits in sixth place in the East this year, but with three fewer matches played than the top five teams.
In 46 matches and 38 starts for Miami, Messi has posted 41 goals and 22 assists. The club has remade itself around him, hiring two different head coaches with connections to him and signing former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez. There are also nine other Argentines on the team’s active roster.
