Lionel Messi signs contract with Inter Miami until 2025
MIAMI – Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi has signed a contract until 2025 with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer (MLS) team announced on Saturday.
The 36-year-old forward, who sparked Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022 in Qatar, is set to be unveiled by the team in a Sunday ceremony and expected to join Inter Miami on the pitch as early as Friday.
“I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” Messi, who moves from Paris Saint-Germain, said in a statement.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival in Miami has already caused a sensation and is expected to spark greater interest in the game across the US.
It is also hoped he will revive the fortunes of a Miami squad at the bottom of the 15-team MLS Eastern Conference with five wins, three draws and 14 losses.
“This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project,” Messi said.
“The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.”
Messi’s debut is planned for Friday, when Inter Miami will host Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, a revamped competition between MLS and Mexican league teams.
It is the biggest boost for the North American league since former England star David Beckham, now a co-owner of Inter Miami, joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.
He launched the MLS Miami squad in 2020 after years of trying to find a stadium site.
“Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamed of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city,” Beckham said in a statement.
“Today, that dream came true. The next phase of our adventure starts here and I can’t wait to see Leo take to the pitch.”
Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino has managed Messi in two separate previous stints – with Barcelona in the 2013-14 campaign, winning the Spanish Super Cup, and from 2014-2016 with the Argentinian national team.
Messi captained the Albiceleste to victory at the 2021 Copa America as well as the Qatar World Cup. - AFP
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