- Lionel Messi is Inter Miami’s all-time leader in goals scored.
- A clause in Lionel Messi’s contract extension has Messi joining Jorge Mas, Jose Mas and Sir David Beckham as co-owners of Inter Miami upon retirement.
- Lionel Messi has not committed to playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for defending champion Argentina.
Lionel Messi is close to signing a contract extension with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.
Messi is set to sign for at least two more seasons through 2027, a person with direct knowledge of the contract negotiations told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing.
MLS will need to approve the deal once Messi and Inter Miami iron out the final details. The deal is about 85 percent done, the person said.
Messi sees the idea of prolonging his career as a chance to further Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, the United States and globally, the person added.
Messi will join Jorge Mas, Jose Mas and Sir David Beckham as co-owners of Inter Miami upon retirement — a clause he agreed to in his initial deal with the club and MLS in 2023.
Inter Miami will open its new stadium project Miami Freedom Park in 2026, where Messi is expected to play with the club in the venue’s debut.
Messi, 38, will turn 39 during the 2026 World Cup, and will turn 40 during the 2027 MLS season.
Messi shed light on his pending contract extension following the last World Cup qualifying match of his career earlier this month. He shared excitement about potentially playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup without declaring his intentions to play in next summer’s tournament.
“Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it. But well, we’re almost there so I’m excited and motivated to play it,” Messi said after scoring twice for Argentina against Venezuela in his final World Cup qualifier in his home country on Sept. 4.
“Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it taking it day by day, going by how I feel. Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself,” Messi added.
“When I feel good, I enjoy it. But when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good. So, we’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.’
Messi added: ‘Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have preseason, and there will be six months left. So, we’ll see how I feel. Hopefully I’ll have a good preseason in 2026, and finish this MLS season well, and then I’ll decide.”
Messi is Inter Miami’s all-time leader with 62 goals and 29 assists — achievements he quickly reached since the club made its MLS debut in 2020.
Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, led Inter Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup title shortly after his July 2023 arrival to Major League Soccer and the U.S.
Messi fueled Inter Miami to the best regular season in MLS history while winning MVP in 2024. However, Inter Miami was eliminated in the first round by Atlanta United in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs.
Inter Miami has fallen short for three trophies already in 2025, losing in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Round of 16 in the FIFA Club World Cup, and most recently the 2025 Leagues Cup final.
Messi has 28 goals and 14 assists in 36 matches across all competitions this season. He is second in MLS with 20 goals, and second with 31 total goal contributions as Inter Miami has a chance to contend for the 2025 Supporters’ Shield with a push to the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Inter Miami is fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference, and return to action on Saturday, Sept. 20 against D.C. United at Chase Stadium.
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