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Inter Miami Stance on Lionel Messi Renewal Revealed Amid ‘Strong Transfer Push’

Reports about transfer interest in Lionel Messi from the Asian champions has been solidified in recent days.
Grey Whitebloom|
Lionel Messi is Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer.
Lionel Messi is Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer. | IMAGO/Xinhua

Inter Miami are said to be “extremely confident” that Lionel Messi will extend his stay on South Beach despite increasingly concrete reports about rival interest from the Saudi Pro League.

Messi’s current swollen contract with the Herons will expire at the end of 2025. Miami are unsurprisingly adamant that they are doing everything they can to keep hold of their talisman, but the prospect of an unattached Messi has unsurprisingly sparked a queue of suitors.

Speculation surrounding a return to Barcelona remains spurious given the dire financial straits hanging over the Catalan giants. No such economic restrictions apply to Al Ahli, the reigning Asian champions who are majoritively owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The side spearheaded by Ivan Toney had been first linked with an approach for Messi by french outlet L’Équipe and now The Athletic claim that Al Ahli are preparing a “strong push” for the 38-year-old icon.

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi helped Inter Miami reach the Club World Cup round of 16. | IMAGO/Action Plus

While Inter Miami are not “taking anything for granted”, the report insists that the MLS franchise co-owned by David Beckham is confident in keeping its star. The pursuit of targets almost exclusively suited to getting the best out of Messi, such as Atlético Madrid’s Rodrigo de Paul, strengthens the assumption that Miami are planning for a future with the Argentine.

Clinging onto Messi for another year would be hugely beneficial for the Herons. 2026 is the year that the club plan to move into their new home Miami Freedom Park, a 25,000-seat venue specifically designed for soccer, which is scheduled for the next MLS season.

Next summer also marks the staging of the 2026 World Cup which will be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Having Messi as the face of the host nation’s top flight would certainly make marketing more straightforward.

Miami co-owner Jorge Mas predicted earlier this year that an official decision would be unveiled by the end of July.

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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is an Associate Editor for SI FC. He has more than half a decade of experience in sports media across all its various guises, from the fast-paced demands of news articles and match reports to in-depth research required for features. Whitebloom graduated with a First Class Honours from University College London and found himself named on the Dean’s List—which, despite his initial fears, was a form of praise rather than a punishment. He specialises in the Premier League and Champions League, while also boasting an extensive track record of La Liga coverage.

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