MIAMI (AP) – Lionel Messi went to watch football on Friday. He didn’t say words About his own future.
The Intermiami star has locked himself in a contract extension that will keep him at major league soccer clubs throughout at least the 2026 season, but has appeared to watch the global finals of the 1V1 soccer tournament that he will help create and sponsor the hydration drinks he co-founded.
His appearance came just days after he and Intermiami concluded the extension. The extension has been working on for several months and guarantees that he is at the club with the plans to open a new stadium near Miami International Airport next year.
Messi watched both the male and female semi-finals and then watched the final of his event. He greeted the winners on stage, signed autographs for the fans, and finally took a massive group selfie with the whole crowd.
But there were no hints about the contract — he didn’t talk to reporters — there was no news from his team on Friday either.
“I think it’s great news for the MLS not just in the club, but in general, so I hope it happens soon, right?” Intermiami coach Javier Mascherano said earlier Friday that he was asked about the extension on the training base for the Fort Lauderdale team.
“I don’t think it’s just for the team,” Mascherano said. “Obviously, it’s unique for the team, for the club, for the history of this club, but I think it’s very important news for American football.
Messi won Argentina for the World Cup title in 2022, and was part of the qualifying match against the team, but has not officially said he will play in tournaments for the US, Canada and Mexico next year.
The 38-year-old Messi has 20 goals (the second most in the league) and has 11 assists in MLS play this season.
He joined Intermiami in July 2023 on a two-year, 1/2 year contract. Messi was MLS MVP last season, but even in a year when he missed 15 injuries and national team commitments out of Intermiami’s 34 regular-season games.
He helped the team win the first two trophies of 2023, the League Cup and Supporters Shield, with the team having the highest record in MLS last season.
Messi and Intermiami will play DC United on Saturday. Miami will be opening sixth in the Eastern Conference, eight points behind Philadelphia’s number one spot, but has won three games at the conference leader and has raced one of the top playoff seeds and Supporters Shield.
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AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
