Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas gives his take on Lionel Messi's future at the club 

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has expressed his optimism regarding the future of club captain Lionel Messi in the MLS side. The Argentine great signed a deal for two-and-a-half years when he chose to swap PSG in the French top-flight for Miami in the summer of 2023.

Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent after the club's co-owner, David Beckham, convinced him to move to the MLS outfit. His arrival immediately elevated the level of his team, and he has captained them to two trophies, the first two in their history, in his time at the club.

With Lionel Messi's deal set to run until the end of the 2025 MLS season, Jorge Mas spoke at the club's End of Year press conference about his situation. The co-owner stated that he expects the 37-year-old to be on the books of the Herons when they move into their new stadium in 2026.

“I fully expect to see Messi playing in our new stadium in 2026,” Mas said (via Fabrizio Romano on X).

Lionel Messi has enjoyed a successful 18 months as an Inter Miami player, with his arrival at the club attracting a plethora of talents from around the world. Former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez have since joined the club, as have young players like Federico Redondo and Diego Gomez.

Messi has become his club's record goalscorer in just 18 months, along with winning the Leagues Cup in 2023 and MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024. The Argentine legend is expected to feature in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and he will likely do so as an Inter Miami player.

Lionel Messi's ex-teammate set to become new Inter Miami manager - Reports

Argentina U-20 manager Javier Mascherano is set to replace compatriot Tata Martino as the manager of Inter Miami, as per reports from Cesar Luis Merlo. Tata Martino will step down from his position at the club for personal reasons after 18 months in charge.

Mascherano, who played alongside Lionel Messi for Barcelona and the Argentina national team, will be the club's new manager from the 2025 season. The former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder will sign a three-year contract with the Herons ahead of the new season.

Javier Mascherano was last in charge of the Argentina U-20 national team and took charge of the U-23 team at the Olympics in Paris in the summer. His side lost to hosts France in an ill-tempered quarterfinal clash and crashed out of the tournament.