Lionel Messi has signed a contract extension with Inter Miami, the MLS club announced Thursday. It is a three-year agreement through the 2028 season.
No financial details were released. Messi, who turned 38 in June, originally joined Inter Miami in 2023 under a two-and-a-half-year contract worth $150 million, or $60 million per year, including a signing bonus and an equity stake in the MLS club. Messi is expected to exercise his ownership stake in the franchise after he is done playing with Inter Miami.
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Inter Miami posted a 64-second video on its social media showing Messi signing the deal inside the club’s new stadium, which is under construction and set to open in 2026. Messi was expected to return in 2026 to open Miami Freedom Park, and the club has sold ticket packages under those expectations. The stadium is the centerpiece of a 131-acre entertainment, retail, hospitality and commercial district that will open in phases beginning next year.
Three more years of Messi would be a boon to Inter Miami’s fortunes and those of MLS as a whole, as it hopes to ride the momentum of the North America-hosted World Cup in 2026. Messi has drawn club-record crowds around MLS and caused teams to relocate their games to larger NFL stadiums. Teams also used their club’s Inter Miami game in packages to sell tickets to other matches.
“When Lionel Messi made MLS his league of choice, it marked a turning point—not just for Inter Miami, but for our entire sport in North America,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “We’re thrilled that Leo has chosen to stay and continue his career with Inter Miami.”
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Inter Miami opens its playoffs on Friday as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference in a home game against Nashville. Messi won MLS’ Golden Boot as its top goal scorer with 29 and is likely to repeat as the league’s MVP. He had an MLS record 10 multi-goal games in 2025.
The new deal will add to a career of blockbuster paydays for Messi since he turned pro with Barcelona in 2004 as a 17-year-old. His career earnings rank fifth-highest in the history of sports and will top $1.6 billion by the end of 2025.
Last year, Messi was fourth among the world’s highest-paid athletes at $135 million, including an estimated $75 million off the field from sponsors, appearances, memorabilia and licensing. He has more than a dozen sponsors—including Adidas, Apple TV, Lowe’s, Mastercard and Stanley—who benefit from his more than 500 million Instagram followers.
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