Bombshell: Lionel Messi will sign his last professional contract with Inter Miami

Lionel Messi made a key decision for his future: he will continue at Inter Miami and will extend his career for at least one more season. According to the local outlet Miami Herald, "after lengthy negotiations that stretched over the past few months, Messi agreed to the terms of a new multi-year contract." The outlet added: "This will be his last contract as a professional footballer, and it is expected to be announced within the next ten days."

The current contract of the Rosario native was set to end at the end of the year, since in MLS contracts are adjusted to the February-to-November calendar. The renewal means that Messi will continue competing in 2026 and, consequently, the possibility of him playing in another World Cup with the Argentina National Team is drawing closer.

At 38 years old, number 10 keeps an extremely high level. In the current MLS season, he has scored 20 goals and provided 11 assists, numbers that rise to 28 goals and 13 assists in all competitions in 2025. In addition, he is already Inter Miami's all-time top scorer.

With this decision, he will be the franchise's main figure at the opening of Miami Freedom Park Stadium, the new stadium that will debut at the start of the 2026 season.

A contract that goes beyond football

The new deal not only covers the sporting aspect. In Miami, they expect that after his retirement, Messi will remain linked to the project in an institutional role, leveraging his influence as a key figure in the expansion of MLS and the club itself.

Messi himself had already anticipated it in 2020: "I will do something related to football, although not as a coach. I don't see myself as a coach, but I would like to be a sporting director and then bring in the players I want."