Lionel Messi's Inter Miami Contract Extension Revealed in Video Hyping New Stadium

Inter Miami announced Thursday that Lionel Messi signed a contract extension and used the occasion to hype up the new stadium that's under construction.

Messi ceremonially put pen to paper on what's going to be the pitch at Miami Freedom Park.

With the extension in place, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is committed to Inter Miami through 2028.

Miami and MLS pulled out all the stops in order to bring the legendary forward to the United States in 2023. Among the perks is reportedly a 10 percent ownership stake in the club once he retires. He probably won't be playing anywhere else for the remainder of his career.

Messi's continued performance gives he and Miami confidence he'll remain effective on the pitch into his 40s. He led MLS in goals (29) and tied for the league high in assists (19).

Inter Miami, meanwhile, finished third in the Eastern Conference with 65 points, one fewer than the top-seeded Philadelphia Union.

Miami capped off the regular season with a 5-2 win over Nashville SC, its first-round opponent in the MLS Cup playoffs. Nashville got a possible taste of what's to come as Messi earned a hat trick.

Countless stars who built their reputations in Europe or South America have spent their twilights in MLS. By the time Messi arrived, the league was in a much more stable position than it had been years before.

Still, MLS officials were counting on him to provide an even bigger boost on the heels of landing a historic media rights deal with Apple. Messi has duly delivered in pretty much every way between his impact on the field and the bottom line.

That's unlikely to change in 2026 beyond as long as he remains one of MLS' best players.