Lionel Messi spent more than 20 years with Barcelona before securing moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami where he has become Major League Soccer’s most prestigious star
David Beckham and Inter Miami may have to worry about the next step in Lionel Messi’s career.
The 37-year-old Argentina icon joined the Major League Soccer side in 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain. The eight-times Ballon d’Or winner has so far won the Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield in his time in Florida but the team have fallen short in their bid to taste MLS glory thus far.
Messi’s contract runs until the end of the 2025 season and the veteran earns a base salary of £9.58million, with his total guaranteed compensation in the region of £16.28m. Unsurprisingly, the superstar is the highest paid player in the league but soon the Herons may be required to tempt him to remain in the United States.
The World Cup-winner has spoken of his desire to return to the city of Barcelona to live with his family. Messi spent more than two decades with the Catalan side before departing having established himself as one of the best players ever.
“We had to leave the city and Catalonia, but my children are Catalan and I have lived there all my life,” Messi told 3cat. “I feel like I belong to Barcelona, in our mind [we are] always going to live there again in the future.
“My children, my wife and I miss life in Barcelona, we left a lot of things there.”
Inter retain confidence they can secure Messi’s future however. Beckham’s co-owner Jorge Mas believes that the diminutive superstar will still be present for the side in 2026.
“Messi is under contract through 2025; Leo and I will sit and discuss the future,” he said. “As I have said before, and I will repeat it now: I fully expect that in the opening of our new stadium in 2026 and the opening of our 2026 MLS season after a trophy-laden 2025 season, that Leo Messi will be our No. 10.”
The next trophy that Messi and Inter Miami will be afforded the opportunity to win will be the Club World Cup. The side was gifted a surprise entry into the competition.
FIFA handed the club a place as a representative of the host country for their efforts over the regular season in MLS. Despite winning the shield they were then knocked out in the play-offs of the competition.
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