Messi emulates Ronaldo with contract plan

Tom Weber

Updated: 22 Nov 2024 12:16 CST
3 min read

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo — © IMAGO

Inter Miami 'fully expect' Lionel Messi to stay with the club until at least 2026, according to owner Jorge Mas.

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The Argentine legend is coming off his first full season in Major League Soccer. Messi joined David Beckham's Inter Miami franchise in the summer of 2023 but only played a handful of games in his first few months in the US.

2024 was a different story and, although he missed several matches due to injury, his impact was felt as Miami comfortably marched towards the Supporters' Shield as the best team over the course of the regular season.

However, their campaign ended prematurely against Atlanta United early on in the playoffs and head coach Tata Martino resigned in the wake of the result, casting a little bit of doubt on Messi's future.

But with the 37-year-old's former Barcelona and Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano set to replace Martino, Miami can rest easy in the knowledge that their superstar, barring a spectacular change of heart, will remain with the club for another year.

When does Messi's contract expire?

Messi has a guaranteed contract until the end of the 2025 season and there is an option to extend the deal until 2026. According to Inter's managing owner Jorge Mas, the club is confident that the Argentine will see out the entirety of his contract.

"I fully expect during the opening of our new stadium in 2026 that Lionel Messi will be our No.10,” Mas declared on Friday. It seems, therefore, that the attacker is not yet thinking about retiring, which means that he could potentially feature at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

There, he could go up against his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo who, despite turning 40 in February, looks likely to extend his Al-Nassr contract by a further season, taking his deal through the 2025/26 campaign.

"I am planning my retirement and it will happen in a year or two," Ronaldo said recently. "I have to enjoy the moment and football. I have to go to training and to the game motivated, when I don't feel that way I will take a step forward and say that it is no longer for me."