Messi extends contract at Inter Miami, to stay in MLS until 2028

MIAMI: Lionel Messi has finally agreed to a new three-year contract with Inter Miami, keeping him in Major League Soccer (MLS) beyond the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The deal was announced a day before Miami’s playoff opener against Nashville. Messi’s team — the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference — will play host to Game 1 of that best-of-three series on Friday night.

“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. Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to keep going here,” Messi said.

Messi’s decision to stay in Miami is big for both the club and MLS.

He was the league’s MVP last season and is the overwhelming choice to win the award again this year, which would make him only the second two-time winner in league history and the first to win it in back-to-back years. Preki won the MVP award in 1997 and 2003.

“To enjoy him, watching him enjoy doing the things he is doing, he’s very, very competitive and he tries to translate that to the team,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said on Thursday.

“The best way to help him is to try to do the right things ... he has to be comfortable on the pitch. He’s comfortable when things are working in the right way.

“With him, when we do things the right way, we’ll have many chances to have success.”

Messi won MLS’ Golden Boot this season after scoring 29 goals, five more than LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville’s Sam Surridge. He also had 19 assists, and his 48 total goal contributions was one shy of matching the MLS record of 49 set by Carlos Vela in 2019.

This season, Messi had multiple goals in five consecutive games — making him the first MLS player to achieve such a feat — and had 10 games where he scored more than once, another league record. The previous mark was eight such games. Agencies

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