At last, it appears it’s only a matter of when, not if, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami officially announce a long-anticipated contract extension that will see the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner finish his career as a Miami player.
Both ESPN and the Miami Herald have reported that the parties involved have agreed to basic terms on such a deal, with only the final details to be worked out. An announcement is expected before the end of the month.
While the presumption was always that Messi would renew with the Herons, the news quells any lingering anxiety. And while MLS will have to cope with the end of the Messi era sooner or later, having his tenure come to an end following the 2025 season would’ve been a disaster for both the league and the club because of the timing.
Here are five reasons Messi agreeing to an extension beyond this season is so critical for MLS and Inter Miami.
1) The World Cup Buildup
There will be unavoidable disappointment in MLS when the career of the most famous player ever to grace the league inevitably comes to an end.
But coping with that sentiment early next year would’ve brought terrible vibeshaving to the months leading up to the United States, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Fortunately that won’t happen. And while Messi’s own words earlier this month have recently put into question whether he’ll be on the side that defends Argentina’s 2022 title, regardless he will still serve as an ambassador and focal point for the sport in the lead-in to the tournament.
2) Lineal TV Beyond 2026
While the league’s worldwide streaming deal with Apple TV is locked in through 2032, the agreements MLS has with its domestic lineal TV partners in the United States (Fox Sports) and Canada (TSN, RDS) expire following the 2026 season.
Having Messi in the league into 2027 and maybe beyond will put the league in a far more advantageous position going into any potential negotiations to retain or add new lineal domestic partners, and perhaps solve a perceived lack of exposure to casual fans through legacy television distribution.
It’s never been clear that reducing the number of games available over traditional TV outlets was part of the MLS plan when it initially reached its agreement with Apple. Instead, the perception was that former partner ESPN was not interested in a package that did not also include streaming rights (which Apple TV had acquired), while Univision was not interested because the league rights were no longer packaged with the U.S. national team. (Univision still shows select Leagues Cup matches).
Messi’s presence could bring those or other outlets to the table beyond 2026, and also make them willing to spend more money.
3) Miami’s New Stadium
The David Beckham-owned club is set to open its permanent home, the stadium at Miami Freedom Park, to begin the 2026 season. And not having Messi as part of the festivities would feel like an enormous missed opportunity for a club that struggled to draw home fans at times before Messi’s arrival.
The 25,000-seat venue will continue the league-wide trend of new permanent grounds for MLS team, with New York City FC and the Chicago Fire expected to follow before the end of the decade.
But there will never a better opportunity to tell this story of soccer infrastucture building than when Messi plays his first game in Miami’s new ground.
4) A More Comfortable Messi?
This is certainly more speculative, but now that it appears Messi will complete his career in the league, it’s possible he might finally lean more into the ambassadorial role MLS and American soccer fans have for.
Messi has always been a bit reserved and sparse in his interactions with the media and the public But things sometimes change once players process that they’re truly in the final days of their career.
We’ve seen that play out repeatedly with the softening of sometimes combative stars in other sports, like golf’s Tiger Woods, the NBA’s Kobe Bryant and the NFL’s Tom Brady. There’s reason to hope for a similar phenomenon with Messi, particular among the Spanish-speaking fans and media that surround and adore him.
5) More On-Field Rivals?
Messi has already played more than two calendar years with Miami, but it’s only now starting to feel like there are other stars in the league who can prove capable rivals at other clubs in the way that his long-running La Liga rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo helped fuel both players’ global rise.
Summer LAFC signing Son Heung-min is a compelling potential foe at another club with credible MLS Cup contention aspirations, particularly because his personality so outwardly contrasts with Messi’s. Keeping Messi in MLS longer could also eventually allow for the Kevin De Bruyne’s and Antonie Griezmann’s of the world, who were seen as potential summer MLS signings this year but ultimately chose other options, eventually go in direct competition against the Argentine star in MLS play.