Will Lionel Messi honour Inter Miami contract through 2025? MLS chief makes future prediction involving more superstars of the world game

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner committed to an initial two-and-a-half-year deal when making his way to the United States. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has an extension option in those terms for 2026, but focus remains locked on the present for now.

Garber is confident that Messi will remain in Florida for the foreseeable future, as he becomes the biggest draw in MLS, while other superstars of the world game are expected to follow in his footsteps. Garber has told Reuters of attracting more top talent to America: “The league now has to be thinking, is there another opportunity that we could work together on and figure out ways to attract someone like the next Leo Messi to come to one of our clubs.”

Luis Suarez is poised to join Messi in Miami for 2024, as he works on a low wage that sits inside the club’s salary cap, while World Cup-winning France international Antoine Griezmann has previously expressed a desire to head for the States.

Messi is making it possible for MLS to dream big, with Garber adding on how the Argentine icon is changing the domestic game in America: “His impact has been unimaginable. We are now not just part of the global conversation, but one of the biggest stories in global football. The eyes of the world are now on Major League Soccer because the best player in the game is here and succeeding. The metrics on and off the field have been spectacular. It's just great to see that our league can deliver for a player like Leo Messi in ways that we have. And it's great to see Leo Messi deliver for MLS in ways that we had hoped he would.”

Messi has already savoured Leagues Cup success with Inter Miami, and will be back for more in 2024. He has taken his collection of Golden Balls up to eight and could make more history in 2023 if he walks away with the FIFA Best Award for the third time in his remarkable career.