Ahead of Inter Miami kicking off the MLS Cup Playoffs against Nashville SC on Friday, good news is on the way. The club has released a video of Lionel Messi signing a contract extension at the home of their new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, which is set to open ahead of the 2026 season. Messi’s contract was set to expire at the end of the current MLS season, but both parties were hopeful of coming to an extension. The extension will run through 2028, according to reporters citing the club, keeping the Argentine number 10 in pink well after the 2026 World Cup, which will be taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
After Messi just completed one of the best MLS regular season campaigns in club history with 29 goals and 19 assists (including secondary assists), he has shown that he still has plenty to give to the Herons, and this news is quite a boon ahead of their playoff run. With Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets retiring at the end of the season, things will look a little different at the club when Miami Freedom Park opens next campaign, but as long as Messi is on the roster, they’ll compete for silverware around the league.
Messi has already won the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield with Miami, and he can keep up an annual tradition of winning a trophy with the club if he can lead the Herons to the first MLS Cup title in their history.