Lionel Messi has agreed a contract extension with Inter Miami which will see the Argentine superstar remain in Major League Soccer until the end of the 2028 season, the club confirmed on Thursday, reports BSS.
Inter Miami's X feed posted a video of Messi signing a contract sitting at a table in the middle of the club's new Freedom Park stadium, which is under construction, with the simple caption: "He's Home."
"It makes me really happy to stay here and to continue with this project that, besides being a dream, has become a beautiful reality - playing in this stadium, at Miami Freedom Park," Messi, 38, said in a club statement.
"Since I arrived in Miami, I've been very happy, so I'm truly glad to keep going here," Messi added.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said Messi's decision to extend reflected his "commitment to the city, to the club, to the game".
"He's still as committed as he's ever been and he still wants to win," Beckham said. "As owners to have a player that loves the game as much as he does, and who has done as much for the game in this country and to inspire the next generation of young talent as he has, we feel very lucky."
The World Cup-winner's current contract expires at the end of the 2025 MLS season.
A new deal had been viewed as a formality after club sources told AFP last month that the franchise had reached an agreement on an extension.
Messi's contract ensures he will remain in competitive action until and long after the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Messi moved to Inter Miami in 2023 after an unhappy spell at Paris Saint-Germain and has since had a transformative effect on the league, driving record attendances and ticketing revenues.
"When Lionel Messi made MLS his league of choice, it marked a turning point -- not just for Inter Miami, but for our entire sport in North America," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Thursday as he welcomed news of Messi's contract extension.
Messi spent the bulk of his stellar career at Barcelona, where he played from 2004 to 2021 after coming through the youth system at the Spanish giants.
At Barcelona, he won the La Liga title 10 times and lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy on four occasions.
In 2022, he led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar and has expressed a desire to try to retain the trophy next year.
He has scored 114 international goals and also won the Copa America twice with Argentina, in 2021 and 2024.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
