Lionel Messi will play into his 40s after signing mammoth new contract | Football | Sport

Lionel Messi has penned a fresh three-year deal with David Beckham’s American franchise  Inter Miami, putting to bed rumours about his imminent retirement. The 38-year-old was nearing the conclusion of his two-and-a-half-year agreement he inked with the MLS side in July 2023.

However, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has extended his stay in Miami for a further three campaigns after finalising the new terms. The announcement was made official on Thursday through the club’s social media platforms. Miami shared footage of Messi donning a suit whilst putting his signature to the deal on the earth pitch at Miami Freedom Park, the team’s new ground currently under development, which is scheduled to launch ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

The MLS giants declared: “HE’S HOME,” in their swish announcement. Messi’s new deal – which will keep him at the club until 2028 – means he will emulate Cristiano Ronaldo by playing on into his forties. Messi’s contract renewal arrives at an ideal moment for the franchise, which is part-owned by Beckham.

Miami will kick off a best-of-three series at home against Nashville – the team Messi netted a treble against just last week – on Friday as part of the MLS play-offs. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain icon has made an enormous difference both on and off the field in MLS.

Messi claimed the maiden Leagues Cup in 2023 before propelling Miami to the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, smashing a league record for the highest points tally during a single campaign in the process. Yet the Argentina skipper raised questions about his future in September by confessing it was ‘logical’ he wouldn’t feature at the upcoming World Cup.

“Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it,” Messi stated. “But well, we’re almost there, so I’m excited and motivated to play it.

“Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it, taking it day by day, going by how I feel, trying to feel good and, above all, being honest with myself.

“When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good – so we’ll see.

“I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup. Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have pre-season, and there will be six months left. So we’ll see how I feel. Hopefully, I’ll have a good pre-season in 2026 and finish this MLS season well and then I’ll decide.”

That choice has been made sooner than expected, securing his place in Florida until late 2028.