Will Lionel Messi stick to his 2025 Inter Miami contract? The head of MLS predicts more global soccer superstars in the future.
Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, has “every expectation” that Lionel Messi, the Argentine sensation, will honor his Inter Miami contract.
An Argentine icon that is sweeping the US
has a contract option for an extension
anticipated to draw further talent to the US
When traveling to the United States, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner agreed to an initial two-and-a-half-year contract. Although the former forward for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain has an extension option on those terms through 2026, for the time being, all attention is focused on the here and now.
As Messi emerges as the biggest draw in Major League Soccer (MLS) and more global superstars are predicted to follow in his footsteps, Garber is optimistic that Messi will stay in Florida for the foreseeable future. Regarding luring further elite players to the United States, Garber told Reuters, “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.”
With a low salary that falls under the club’s salary ceiling, Luis Suarez is expected to join Messi in Miami in 2024, and World Cup-winning France international Antoine Griezmann has previously stated his intention to go to the United States.
With Messi enabling MLS to realize its lofty goals, Garber continues, “His impact has been unimaginable.” Messi is revolutionizing American domestic soccer. We are currently one of the biggest stories in international football, not merely a part of the discourse. Because the greatest player in the game is here and doing well, all eyes are now on Major League Soccer. Both on and off the field, the analytics have been outstanding. It’s just amazing to see what our league can do for a player of Leo Messi’s caliber, as we have. Leo Messi is doing admirably for Major League Soccer in ways that we had anticipated.
Messi will return for more in 2024, having previously enjoyed a League Cup victory with Inter Miami. He already has eight Golden Balls in his collection, and if he wins the FIFA Best Award for a record third time in his illustrious career in 2023, he might create even more history.
