Lionel Messi has signed a multi-year contract extension with Inter Miami, agreeing a deal that will keep him in South Florida until the end of the 2028 MLS season. It is expected that this contract will be the last of his professional career.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in Miami's announcement on Thursday, but Messi has become the highest-paid MLS player since joining the club in the summer of 2023. His first deal paid him more than $20 million a year in guaranteed compensation, more than the combined salaries of about two-thirds of the 30-team league in 2025. His deal also includes a stake in the club following his retirement as a player.
The contract extension would theoretically allow Messi to remain under contract until he turns 41.
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“I am very happy to stay here and continue this project, which was not only a dream, but has become a wonderful reality – to play in this stadium at Miami Freedom Park,” Messi said in a statement. “Ever since I came to Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m really excited to keep coming here.”
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham added: “Our vision was to bring the best players to Inter Miami and to this city, and that's exactly what we did. We brought to our city the best player to ever play the game. It shows our commitment to Miami, but it also shows Leo's commitment to the city, the club and the game. He remains just as committed.” business as always, and he still wants to win.”
The deal was negotiated for months and achieved a key goal of Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas, who said he wanted Messi on board for the opening of the team's new stadium, due to open in the 2026 season. Inter Miami's Instagram post announcing the contract extension shows Messi signing the contract amid construction of a new stadium.
Since he began his career as an expansion team in 2020 and throughout the Messi era, Miami played at the 21,500-capacity Chase Stadium in nearby Fort Lauderdale.
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Messi's time in MLS has been fruitful for both the player, the team and the league. Inter Miami has become a favorite destination for Messi's former teammates looking to take on the Argentine superstar one more time. They include former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, as well as Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Javier Mascherano, Messi's former Argentina and Barcelona teammate, is in his first year as Miami head coach.
On the pitch, Messi has excelled in MLS. The World Cup winner scored 71 goals and made 37 assists in 82 matches, leading Miami to the 2023 League Cup title and the 2024 Supporters' Shield. Miami opens its path to the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs on Friday with a best-of-three series against Nashville. The MLS Cup remains the club's last hope for a trophy in 2025 as the Herons missed out on the Supporters' Shield. They were also eliminated from the League Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup and Club World Cup.
Messi was named MLS Most Valuable Player in 2024 despite missing nearly half the season with an ankle injury, and is almost certain to win the award again in 2025. If this happens, Messi will become the first player to win the award twice since Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic did it in 1997 and 2003 with the Kansas City Wizards (now known as Sporting Kansas City).
Messi is expected to join Argentina at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, helping the defending champions qualify for the tournament with relative ease.
