Report: Messi, Inter Miami agree to extend contract beyond 2026

Inter Miami and Lionel Messi have agreed to extend the Argentine superstar's contract to remain in Major League Soccer (MLS) beyond next year's World Cup, according to a source close to the matter. 

The contract extension would ensure that 38-year-old remains in competitive action until and after the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

An official announcement is expected within the next two weeks, said the source contacted by AFP late Wednesday, and would mean Messi ending his career in the MLS.

Messi moved to Inter Miami in 2023 after an unhappy stay at Paris Saint-Germain, but the rump of his stellar career was spent at Barcelona, where he played from 2004 to 2021 after coming through the youth system at the Spanish giants.

At Barça he won the La Liga title 10 times and lifted the European 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.

Messi was named the MLS Most Valuable Player in the 2024 season even though his team were eliminated in the playoffs.

In 2025 he became the fastest player to reach 40 goals in MLS history. 

– TIMES/AFP