In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas expressed his belief on Friday that Lionel Messi will remain a part of the team until the end of the 2026 Major League Soccer season. Messi, who joined Inter Miami in July 2023, is currently under contract until the conclusion of the 2025 MLS season. Despite the absence of an option to extend his contract through 2026, Mas is confident that Messi will stay with the team as they transition from Chase Stadium to the new Miami Freedom Park. Mas stated, "Messi is under contract through 2025; Leo and I will sit and discuss the future. I fully expect that in the opening of our new stadium in 2026, Messi will be our No. 10 after a successful 2025 season."
During the 2024 season, Messi played a pivotal role in Inter Miami's achievements, contributing 21 goals and 17 assists in just 21 MLS matches. His performance helped the team secure the 2024 Supporters' Shield and set a league record for the most points scored in a single season. Despite their success, Inter Miami was eliminated by Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs. As the club bids farewell to coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino due to personal reasons, sources have revealed that Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Messi's and the current coach of Argentina's under-20 and under-23 teams, is set to take over as head coach.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Mas emphasized the club's commitment to assembling a competitive roster to meet the increasing expectations for success. He stated, "We are going to use every single roster mechanism given to us by the league to build the best roster we can to compete in 2025." With ambitions to excel in various competitions such as the Concacaf Champions League, Club World Cup, and Leagues Cup, Inter Miami is under pressure to deliver results. Mas affirmed that the club will spare no expense in recruiting top talent from around the world to solidify their position as a premier football team.
As the team navigates the offseason and makes decisions regarding the roster for the upcoming season, negotiations are ongoing for the return of players like Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba, whose contracts expired at the end of the 2024 campaign. The deadline to finalize roster decisions and confirm offers is set for November 27, as Inter Miami aims to strengthen their squad for the challenges that lie ahead.
