Lionel Messi Signs Long-Term Extension with Inter Miami CF — Staying Through 2028
In a landmark move for both player and club, Lionel Messi has officially signed a long-term contract extension with Inter Miami CF that will keep him in Major League Soccer through the end of the 2028 season.
While financial details have not been fully disclosed, the announcement confirms the Argentine icon’s commitment to the club and his desire to continue competing at the highest level in the United States.
What the Move Means on the Field
Messi’s extension provides stability and continuity for Inter Miami’s sporting project. Having joined the club in 2023, he has already made a major impact both in matches and in raising the team’s ambition. With his contract now secured, the club can plan recruitment, tactics, and squad development around his presence for several seasons ahead. For Messi personally, this means setting his sights on major goals: helping the club win MLS’s top honors and potentially preparing for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. The timing ensures he remains with one club through that global tournament and beyond.
Commercial & League Wide Impact
Beyond the pitch, the extension is a major commercial win for Inter Miami and for MLS as a whole. Messi is not only one of the greatest players of all time, but a global brand. His remaining in Miami signals that the league is capable of retaining true superstar talent, and that the city and club are serious about building around him. Expected benefits include increased merchandise sales, higher ticket demand, enhanced media coverage and further international visibility. These off-field effects amplify the significance of the contract renewal.
Strategic Timing & Vision
The contract extension also aligns with key strategic moments for the club. Inter Miami are preparing to move into their new home stadium (Miami Freedom Park) in 2026, and retaining Messi ensures that he will be the centerpiece of that milestone. By committing through 2028, the club gives itself a multi-year window to build a legacy around him, rather than view him as a short-term attraction. This signals a shift from “arrival of a superstar” to “era of a franchise icon.”
For Fans & the Future
For fans of Inter Miami, this is cause for optimism: the team’s biggest asset remains in place and fully engaged in the long term. The extension gives supporters confidence that the club isn’t simply chasing headlines, but is aiming for sustained success.
For Messi’s legacy, staying at Miami for a longer term means this chapter of his career will not be viewed as a brief sidestep, but as an integral part of his story—both as a player and as a global ambassador for the sport in North America.
Final Thoughts
Lionel Messi’s contract extension at Inter Miami CF is more than another press release—it’s a statement of intent. It affirms his belief in the club and the league, and it gives the club the foundation to build something significant. In the coming seasons, the ripple effects of this deal will be seen not only in wins and goals, but in growth, ambition and global relevance.
Soccer Star Lionel Messi Buys Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Mansion
Lionel Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, purchased an eight-bedroom mansion in Fort Lauderdale’s Bay Colony through a business run by Messi’s money manager, Alfonso Nebot.
Messi has been sighted looking at homes from Fort Lauderdale to Boca Raton in South Florida. Messi and Roccuzzo paid $10.8 million for the house at 91 Compass Lane, which was sold by John and Stacy Dickerson. The Dickersons paid $9 million for the estate in May of last year, so when they decided to sell it, they received a 20% increase in price.
According to a 2022 listing for the house, the 0.4-acre property boasts 170 feet of waterfrontage, two docks, a waterfront pool, a gym/spa area, and an Italian kitchen. According to property records, the residence was constructed in 1988 and was expanded in 2000. The expansive primary suite covers 1,600 square feet.
Messi joined Inter Miami in July to much fanfare and has since helped the team to eight victories and four draws. The veteran Barcelona player brought home the World Cup trophy for his homeland Argentina last year. Messi will play in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers this week, thus he will be flying to Bolivia.
Between $50 million and $60 million is invested in Messi’s contract with Inter Miami, in addition to club equity and revenue-sharing arrangements with Adidas, Apple, and other businesses.
Drive Pink Stadium and Inter Miami’s nearby training facility in Fort Lauderdale are both roughly 5 miles from Messi’s residence. The team anticipates moving to Miami someday, where its owners are planning Miami Freedom Park, a sizable mixed-use project that will feature a soccer stadium on the city-owned Melreese Country Club land just east of Miami International Airport. Jorge and José Mas, brothers and businessmen from Miami, as well as David Beckham and other partners, are the team’s owners.
Additionally, Messi has three condos in Sunny Isles Beach, one of which is a property at the Porsche Design Tower, which Gil Dezer’s Dezer Development finished in late 2016.
Lionel Messi is Moving to Miami after Signing with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami
Lionel Messi has made the decision to sign with Inter Miami, which might drastically change the path of Major League Soccer. The MLS and Miami won a three-horse race against Barcelona and Saudi Arabia to sign the finest player in the world after days of momentum and a years-long chase.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo on Wednesday, Messi made the announcement, confirming past rumors. Although no contract has yet been signed and no specifics have been made public, it is said to be a complicated, two-and-a-half-year agreement with a total worth well over $100 million.
According to reports, the arrangement will include commercial agreements for a portion of the broadcast and product revenue that the Argentine superstar will produce with Apple and Adidas, two important MLS partners. Additionally, it might provide Messi the choice to invest in Inter Miami after his playing career is over.
This deal will unquestionably raise soccer’s profile in the United States over the long term. On Wednesday, demand for Inter Miami tickets increased as rival clubs made preparations to host the world’s most well-known athlete.
Messi can’t formally sign with Inter Miami until the MLS summer transfer window begins on July 5. His contract with Paris Saint-Germain legally expires at the end of June. He’ll probably make his debut in either July or August. A July 21 match versus Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, a month-long competition that includes teams from North America and Mexico, is one suggested date. After that, the MLS season will resume, and Messi will have the difficult challenge of guiding a team that is currently in last place.
Although his American adventure should be less demanding than the European club circuit, Messi may be able to extend his successful career. He is anticipated to represent Argentina at the Copa America in 2024, which will take place in the United States. He might still aspire for the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will also co-host.
