Inter Miami look set to tie down captain Lionel Messi beyond the end of the 2025 season, allowing him to lead the team into their new Miami Freedom Park stadium.

The two-and-a-half-year deal signed in the summer of 2023 is due to expire at the end of 2025 but The Athletic reports that he is preparing to sign an extension into 2026. The 37-year-old is reportedly happy to stay, although there is still some work to be done to finalise terms.

Messi joined the team in July 2023 and has had a profound effect on their fortunes, leading them to the first piece of silverware in team history and transforming them into MLS Cup contenders. Speaking earlier this week, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas gave a promising update for fans.

“My expectation is that we will see the team’s captain and No 10, Lionel Messi, in the new stadium,” Mas said in a conversation on Futbol de Primera. “It’s a decision. We are talking with him about his future at the club.

“All the stars are aligning for really great things, a beautiful future for the club and for Lionel. It’s up to him, but I anticipate we will determine this in the next 60 or 90 days because it’s important to start planning ahead.”

Mas continued: “He will be another member of the club [after retirement], an acting shareholder, and he wants to leave that as a legacy to his children. We have a very nice, respectful relationship with him, and I let him live his things peacefully.”

With Messi remaining a key player for the Argentinian national team an extension had been expected to allow him to continue preparations for next year’s World Cup. With the tournament held in the United States, along with Mexico and Canada, Messi will be in comfortable surroundings for what could be his final appearances in an Argentina jersey.

For Inter Miami, an extension will give them more time to benefit from the illuminating presence of one of the game’s brightest stars.