It's official

After contract poker: Messi’s future is clear

Lionel Messi extends his contract with Inter Miami until 2028.(Bild: AFP/IRA L. BLACK)

Superstar Lionel Messi has extended his contract with Inter Miami on a long-term basis. The 38-year-old Argentine signed a new contract with co-owner David Beckham's club until the end of 2028, as the Major League Soccer (MLS) club announced on Thursday.

"I've been very happy since I arrived in Miami. So I'm really happy to be able to continue here," said Messi, who has been playing in Florida since the summer of 2023. "We've brought the best player of all time to our city. That shows our commitment to Miami, but it also shows Leo's commitment to the city, to the club and to the sport," said former soccer star Beckham. Messi is just as committed as ever and still wants to win.

David Beckham(Bild: AFP/LEONARDO FERNANDEZ)

Messi will also kick in the new Miami stadium
With the new contract, Messi will also be at the center of the opening of Inter Miami's new stadium next year. In the summer, he should then do everything in his power to defend his title at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and his new adopted home of soccer, the USA.

In Miami since 2023
Messi has been playing for Inter Miami since 2023 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. He scored 50 goals and provided 28 assists in 53 games in the MLS. By extending his contract, Messi has probably also sent out the decisive signal for the 2026 World Cup title defense. Even if the veteran has not yet made a clear commitment to his sixth World Cup participation, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the exceptional kicker will be absent from the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. First up for Messi, however, are the play-offs in the MLS next weekend, where the title is at stake.

World Cup triumph at the fifth attempt
He recently failed to send a clear message to his fans in what was probably his last competitive international match on Argentinian soil. "We'll see," he emphasized at the beginning of September: "If I feel good, I'll enjoy it. But if I don't feel good, I honestly don't enjoy it," Messi explained: "I haven't made a decision about the World Cup yet."

2026 not the last World Cup after all?
2022 in Qatar was Messi's fifth attempt to win the long-awaited World Cup triumph. Before the tournament in Qatar, Messi had repeatedly emphasized and insisted that this would be his last World Cup. With a view to the final tournament next year, he later repeatedly emphasized that he did not want to commit himself and wanted to see how he felt.