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Javier Mascherano addressed questions about Lionel Messi’s future at Inter Miami on Friday, just a day before his team’s MLS match against DC United.
The former Argentina captain, now Miami’s coach, was asked about reports that Messi is set to extend his stay in Major League Soccer. Mascherano did not give away much but the context around his answer was clear.
According to the reports, Messi and Inter Miami are close to finalizing a new multi-year contract and the deal is expected to add at least two more years to the 38-year-old’s current agreement which runs through the end of the 2025 season.
Both sides are in the final stages of negotiations and only minor details remain.
Messi first signed with Inter Miami on July 15, 2023, on a two-and-a-half-year contract and made an instant impact, leading the club to its first trophy in the 2023 Leagues Cup just weeks after arriving and then he guided Miami to the 2024 Supporters’ Shield.
Club co-owner Jorge Mas has said repeatedly that Inter Miami would do everything possible to ensure Messi retires in South Florida.
Javier Mascherano on Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami contract
Mascherano, who took charge of Inter Miami in November last year, avoided giving specifics about Messi’s contract but made it clear that if the deal is finalized, it would have a major impact on American soccer.
“I'm not going to talk about hypotheticals, and I'm not the one who has to break that news.
I hope it happens soon, as I always say, because I think it's great news not only for the club, but for MLS in general,” Mascheraho said [via LM Neuquen]
"If it happens, it will be great news for American soccer to be able to count on him for a while longer."
"It's unique for the club's history, but it would be very important for the country's soccer.
But I repeat: we have to wait for things to develop on their own and for those who need to announce it to be able to announce it," the former soccer player concluded.
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