Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is close to a deal which would see him remain with the club for the opening of their new stadium, it has been claimed. World Cup winner Messi joined the Major League Soccer side midway through the 2023 season, and his current deal expires at the end of 2025.
Messi, who turns 38 this summer, hasn’t lost his scoring touch just yet. He finished as Inter Miami’s joint-top scorer in MLS last season with 20 goals as they won the Supporters’ Shield but lost to Atlanta United in the post-season playoffs.
The club currently play their home games at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, but their new purpose-built Miami Freedom Stadium is due to open in 2026. There have been lingering questions over whether Messi will still be at the club when that happens, and indeed whether he will still be in the United States when the country co-hosts the 2026 World Cup.
Now, though, there appears to have been some progress. According to The Athletic, talks between player and club are at an “advanced stage”.
The length and exact terms of any extension remain unclear, though the new stadium is expected to open in time for the start of next season. The latest news follows some promising comments from Inter Miami’s managing owner Jorge Mas earlier in the week.
“The stars are aligning for something great, for a beautiful future for the club and for Lionel,” Mas told FDP Radio Miami. “It’s solely his decision.
“I expect that within 60-90 days we’ll have to determine all of this. My hope has always been — and everything we’re doing — is to see Messi play at our new stadium in 2026. Hopefully, that happens.”
Messi has started the 2025 MLS season in fine form, with three goals and two assists in three league appearances. He also has five goals in as many knockout outings in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, including two in the quarter-final victory over LAFC in midweek.
The Floridian side will take on Vancouver Whitecaps in their semi-final, with the first leg taking place in Canada on April 24. Before then, though, their next task will be putting an unbeaten league record on the line away to Chicago Fire on Sunday.
“We wanted more and we ended up achieving it,” Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano said after his team trailed 2-0 on aggregate against LAFC but came back to win 3-2.. “This time, the reality is that for a comeback like this, luck often has to be on your side—and it was.
“But that’s also what this sport is about, that’s why fútbol [sic] is so beautiful, because in fútbol, chance plays a bigger role than in other sports. And well, this time the coin landed on our side.”
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