Lionel Messi nearing extension to remain in MLS with Inter Miami

Lionel Messi won’t be leaving MLS anytime soon. 

The 38-year-old soccer legend and Inter Miami star is closing in on a new multi-year deal to keep Messi in South Florida, ESPN reported Wednesday night. 

There are only a few details left to hammer out between the two sides, and sources described to ESPN the negotiations as being in the “final stages” of the process. 

USA Today reported the new deal would be for at least two more seasons, keeping him in Miami through 2027. The outlet indicated that it was about 85 percent done. 

The value of the deal was not known, but it would keep him in MLS, potentially, through the end of his career. 

Following the end of his playing days, Messi will join the Inter Miami ownership group, which was a previously agreed-upon clause in the deal he first signed with the club. 

Messi first arrived in the United States in 2023, agreeing to a two-and-a-half-year contract that runs through the end of this season. 

Inter Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield since Messi arrived in Miami. 

This season, the Argentine has appeared in 21 league matches and scored 20 goals and tallied 11 assists. 

Since arriving in 2023, Messi has appeared in 46 MLS games for Inter Miami, recording 41 goals and 27 assists.

Though a new contract seems to be nearing for Messi, he still has one big decision to make for next summer — will he play in the World Cup?

“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 told reporters earlier this year after an Argentina World Cup qualifier. 

“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. 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.”