Lionel Messi has agreed to a contract extension with Inter Miami, ensuring the Argentine superstar remains in Major League Soccer until the end of the 2028 season.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner had previously stated that Miami would be his last club, but the 38-year-old has given no hints about retirement, insisting that age will not be a factor. His contract guarantees that he will remain in competitive action until well beyond the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Messi moved to Miami in 2023 after an unhappy stint at Paris Saint-Germain and has since transformed the league, driving record attendances and ticket revenues. The 2022 World Cup winner was named the MLS Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season, despite Miami's playoff elimination.

This season, he has led Miami back into the playoffs, finishing third in the Eastern Conference. He ended Miami's regular season campaign with a hat-trick on Saturday in a 5-2 demolition of Nashville SC, totaling 29 goals from 28 matches to win the Golden Boot award. Miami is set to face Nashville agian in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs beginning Friday.