Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas is “optimistic” that Lionel Messi and the rest of his high-profile Barcelona alumni will all extend their contracts with the MLS outfit. But that isn’t where the club’s recruitment ambitions end.
Messi will be a free agent at the end of 2025 but reports suggest that the talismanic forward is keen on remaining in Miami.
Mas was keen to underscore this confidence in a recent interview with ESPN. “I previously said that my wish, my dream would be for the No. 10 to inaugurate our new stadium in March [2026],” the club’s co-owner beamed. “This is a decision that rests on Messi. We wish for Messi to finish his career here. I said a few months ago that we should have news in the summer about that but hopefully it will be as soon as possible.
“But I am optimistic because we have done everything possible for Leo to feel at home, to feel comfortable. I always said that he is a competitive animal, he wants to win. I hope we can raise many trophies together here at Inter Miami in the coming years. Here, we’re just waiting to be able to give the fans the good news about Lionel Messi.”
Mas’s grand ambitions extend beyond tying down the greatest player in soccer history. The American billionaire wants to boast “the best team in the hemisphere”, a task he will try to achieve by extending the contracts of Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets while also targeting a new “star player.”
“In terms of Suárez and Busquets, it’s up to them if they stay,” Mas noted. “We’ll see what he [Suárez] wants to do, if he wants to do one more year or many more it’s up to him if his body permits it. I think that’s the question. I think that the issue with Luis Suárez is a physical one, not emotional.”
“We haven’t had those conversations with Busquets just yet, but he is more than welcome at this club,” Mas added. “He’s been an extraordinary leader in this club.”
When reflecting on the club’s long-term goals, Mas proclaimed: “There is no tool that the league provides us that we have not used to better this roster: signing young players, finding other cracks. For next year, find another star player because we have the space in the roster. From our part, there is not much missing. There is no rush, we don’t need to do it today or tomorrow, but soon we will know Messi’s decision and hopefully we remain together for many more years.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Everything Possible’—Inter Miami Co-Owner Provides Lionel Messi Contract Update.
