Is Messi leaving Inter Miami? Everything you need to know about his contract situation
Lionel Messi is now entering the final six months of his contract with Inter Miami and there’s currently plenty of speculation relating to his future.
The 38-year-old joined Miami back in 2023 and has produced 73 goal contributions in 63 appearances for the club since then.
With plenty of speculation currently surrounding the Argentina star, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about his current situation.
When is Messi out of contract?
Unlike contracts in Europe, which usually run until the end of June, MLS contracts tend to run until the end of December.
This is due to how the MLS season is structured, with the campaign starting in February and ending in December.
When Messi initially joined the club, he signed a two-and-a-half year deal, which is now set to expire at the end of the campaign.
While the 38-year-old could choose to leave on a free transfer upon his contract expiring, he will still be under contract for the remainder of the MLS 2025 campaign.
However, as he is now in the final six months of his contract, he is allowed to negotiate a pre-contract with any club from outside the United States.
Why would Messi leave Inter Miami?
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, it’s been suggested that Messi wants to play in a more competitive league in the build-up to the tournament.
Last month, journalist Esteban Edul added to the speculation, claiming that extension talks with Inter Miami have currently been put on hold.
“Leo Messi and his family told me on Friday, that he is considering playing somewhere else for the six months leading up to the World Cup,” Edul said.
“At one point, he had his contract settled to stay on, but now that’s been put on hold.”
Who would Messi sign for?
Despite no longer being at the very peak of his powers, Messi could still do a job in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Given he’d likely only be signing a short-term deal with a club in Europe, the 38-year-old wouldn’t be short of offers.
We recently assessed five potential transfer options that Messi could explore at the end of the year, upon his contract with Miami expiring.
Could Messi extend his contract with Inter Miami?
While reports of an exit have been swirling, there is still a very good chance that Messi extends his contract with Inter Miami.
Fabrizio Romano has said that the “necessary steps are being taken” over a renewal, with the MLS club hoping to keep their marquee signing.
Fellow reporter Leo Paradizo has also claimed that Messi is closer to renewing his contract with Miami than he is to signing for another club.
“Leo Messi understands that at this stage of his career, if he wants to arrive in good shape for the World Cup, he needs to take care of himself and manage his playing time. He can do that at Inter Miami,” Paradizo has said.
“Leo wants to play in the World Cup and doesn’t want to take risks, like getting injured or facing a demanding schedule in the months leading up to it, which could increase his chances of the muscle injuries that have troubled him recently.
“I think he’s closer to renewing with Inter Miami than moving to another team.”
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