World Cup hint? Messi 'makes crucial decision' over Inter Miami future

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi reportedly makes a decision over whether to sign a new contract, offering a hint to his potential involvement at the 2026 World Cup.

Published: November 29 2024 | 00:47

Last updated: November 29 2024 | 01:17

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has reportedly indicated the he wants to sign a new deal with the MLS franchise.

The Herons have experienced a busy week, having recruited a new head coach and secured the future of one of their star players.

Inter Miami unveiled Messi's former teammate Javier Mascherano as their new coach following the resignation of Tata Martino.

The MLS club then announced the big news that Luis Suarez had penned a new deal to keep him at Chase Stadium for the 2025 season.

Messi 'enthuastic' over potential new Inter Miami contract

Inter Miami are seemingly set to turn their focus to tying Messi down to a new deal, with his current contract set to expire at the end of next year.

According to TyC Sports, Messi is 'enthusiastic about the project' in Inter Miami and is keen to sign a new deal with the MLS club.

The report claims that the two parties are yet to hold talks over a new deal, but there is an expectation that negotiations will be relatively smooth once they begin.

Messi and his family have settled in the Miami area and are seemingly keen to stay in the USA beyond the end of 2025, while the Herons want to retain the services of arguably the best player of all time.

What Messi's potential new contract means for World Cup hopes

Messi's willingness to sign a new deal with Inter Miami offers a hint that he plans to represent Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.

There is a belief that the potential contract would keep Messi at Inter Miami until December 2026 - five months after the World Cup is held in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Messi is currently enjoying a break after completing his playing commitments in a year where he won the Copa America and the MLS Supporters' Shield.

However, the year ultimately ended in disappointment as Inter Miami suffered a surprise exit in the first round of the MLS playoffs following a 2-1 series defeat to Atalanta United.

Messi will want to lead Inter Miami to MLS glory in 2025, while he will also be keen to experience an injury-free year after struggling with a few issues in 2024.

Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.

Eastern Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Inter Miami Inter Miami	34	22	8	4	79	49	30	74
2	Columbus Crew	34	19	9	6	72	40	32	66
3	FC Cincinnati Cincinnati	34	18	5	11	58	48	10	59
4	Orlando City	34	15	7	12	59	50	9	52
5	Charlotte FC Charlotte FC	34	14	9	11	46	37	9	51
6	New York City FC NY City	34	14	8	12	54	49	5	50
7	New York Red Bulls NY Red Bulls	34	11	14	9	55	50	5	47
8	CF Montreal Montreal	34	11	10	13	48	64	-16	43
9	Atlanta United Atlanta	34	10	10	14	46	49	-3	40
10	DC United	34	10	10	14	52	70	-18	40
11	Philadelphia Union Philadelphia	34	9	10	15	62	55	7	37
12	Toronto	34	11	4	19	40	61	-21	37
13	Nashville SC Nashville	34	9	9	16	38	54	-16	36
14	New England Revolution New England	34	9	4	21	37	74	-37	31
15	Chicago Fire	34	7	9	18	40	62	-22	30

Western Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Los Angeles FC Los Angeles	34	19	7	8	63	43	20	64
2	Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy	34	19	7	8	69	50	19	64
3	Real Salt Lake Salt Lake	34	16	11	7	65	48	17	59
4	Seattle Sounders Seattle	34	16	9	9	51	35	16	57
5	Houston Dynamo Houston	34	15	9	10	47	39	8	54
6	Minnesota United Minnesota Utd	34	15	7	12	58	49	9	52
7	Colorado Rapids Colorado	34	15	5	14	61	60	1	50
8	Portland Timbers Portland	34	12	11	11	65	56	9	47
9	Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver	34	13	8	13	52	49	3	47
10	Austin FC Austin	34	11	9	14	39	48	-9	42
11	Dallas	34	11	8	15	54	56	-2	41
12	St Louis City	34	8	13	13	50	63	-13	37
13	Sporting Kansas City Kansas	34	8	7	19	51	66	-15	31
14	San Jose Earthquakes Earthquakes	34	6	3	25	41	78	-37	21

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LIONEL MESSI FUTURE