Lionel Messi transfer rumors won't go away. Will GOAT ink new contract in Miami?
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are in continued negotiations to keep the Argentine World Cup champion and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in Miami, according to a person familiar with the talks.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the ongoing nature of contract negotiations.
One part of the negotiations: Whether Messi re-signs just for 2026 or at least another year after?
'I see him very, very happy,' Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano told USA TODAY Sports before practice on July 8. 'I think he found the place to be quiet, to enjoy a lot of things that maybe he couldn't enjoy before in other clubs. But at the end, he will decide how we continue with his career. This is main thing. But I see him very, very happy.'
While working on Messi's extension, the club is making a major push to bring another one of his closest friends to MLS.
Inter Miami has been in talks this week to acquire Atletico Madrid midfielder and Messi's Argentine World Cup-winning teammate Rodrigo De Paul during this summer's transfer window, according to multiple reports.
Mascherano declined to comment on the club's pursuit of De Paul, who is under contract through 2026. But it makes plenty of sense from Inter Miami's standpoint.
New Messi contract with Inter Miami?
Inter Miami has provided an open and comfortable landing spot for Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in the later years of their careers, while providing Mascherano with a chance to start his career as a coach after they played together with Barcelona.
Messi and Suarez are figuratively tied at the hips when they walk onto the Inter Miami practice fields for training sessions, and they come off the team bus together to walk into stadiums for every match.
You know who's close to Messi the same way when he's with the national team? De Paul.
While it's unclear whether Busquets or Suarez will re-sign with Inter Miami beyond this season when their contracts expire like Messi's (Alba already has), De Paul's presence could also keep Messi happy in Inter Miami.
'I don't have to say too much. Clearly, everyone knows this type of player. But as I always say, I don't like to talk about players who aren't with us at the moment and don't belong to our club,' Mascherano said when asked about De Paul. 'Whether it's him or any other player who comes in, we'll talk about it then and I'll give you my opinion in more detail.'
Still, the rampant Messi rumors about various options he could consider will continue to fester until he signs an extension.
Messi transfer rumors aren't going away
Among the rumors circulated since Inter Miami was eliminated in the FIFA Club World Cup last month: Messi would leave Inter Miami to play for another club in another league to better prepare for the World Cup.
Among those clubs are a return to Barcelona, reuniting with his old boyhood club Newell's Old Boys in Rosario, Argentina, or even playing in the Saudi Arabian league where longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo will continue his own twilight years.
Every scenario offers a logical explanation for fans to believe the rumors.
Sure, the idea Messi could leave Inter Miami to play elsewhere to get in better shape for the World Cup sounds logical. But it was clear when watching Messi play against PSG in the Club World Cup that he still is at the top of his game, even at his advanced age.
What also doesn't make sense: Why would Messi uproot his family life when his Inter Miami contract ends, for a six-month stint in another part of the world, breaking all sorts of routine and comfort he already has in South Florida and the U.S.?
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Messi spent most of his life with FC Barcelona and never wanted to leave when he was pushed out in 2021. But a return to Barcelona at this stage of Messi's career – other than a one-off friendly between Inter Miami and Barcelona at the new Camp Nou Stadium (which would be a great idea by the way) – may not be in the cards. The club won the Spanish treble last season, and will likely have a new star wearing No. 10 in Lamine Yamal (who turns 18 on July 13). Barcelona already appears in great shape without its greatest player ever.
A return to play in Argentina for Newell's? It's a fantasy driven by Messi's national teammate Angel Di Maria returning home to his boyhood club Rosario Central to finish his career. But it isn't a viable option for Messi.
Quite frankly, Messi doesn't owe Argentina anything after winning the World Cup – outside of informing his legion of fans that he'll play in the World Cup again. Messi hasn't yet publicly declared he will play in the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico next summer.
Playing in the Middle East? Sure, Ronaldo is making ludicrous amounts to bring attention to the Saudi league since he joined in 2023, and recently re-signed through 2027. But Messi already passed on playing in Saudi Arabia when he was in search of a new home in the summer of 2023 – though he did sign a lucrative deal as a spokesman for the kingdom.
After leaving Barcelona, Messi spent two years of his career at Paris Saint-Germain – made even more awkward after leading Argentina past France at the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
He landed with Inter Miami in July 2023, and has been celebrated since his arrival by fans and Americans getting to watch him play the final days of his career in the United States.
'At the end of the day, I don't see him anywhere else, to be honest, but it's his decision,' Alba said after the Club World Cup when asked about Messi staying with Inter Miami. 'Ultimately, the decisions he has made have always been the right ones, and obviously I see him competing for the World Cup.'
Still, Messi needs to re-sign. And the Messi rumors about various options will continue until he does.
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