OFFICIAL: Lionel Messi gets his wish as Inter Miami agree striker deal

Lionel Messi will get to play alongside close friend Luis Suarez for another year after the striker agreed a new contract with Inter Miami.

The Herons have announced that the Uruguay legend has signed on for a further season. Suarez would have been out of contract this offseason, and could have opted to retire like long-time teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

The 38-year-old has been dealing with knee problems for several years. Miami’s recent MLS Cup triumph would have allowed Suarez to get the best send-off possible, but the veteran striker has opted to keep playing for a further season.

Although Suarez is no longer the devastating force of nature he was previously, he hasn’t lost any of his fire and passion for the game, leading to multiple suspensions in 2025.

As a result, he was dropped for the latter stages of the playoffs by head coach Javier Mascherano, which proved to be a game-changer for Miami. Mateo Silvetti and Tadeo Allende running beyond Lionel Messi turned the Herons into an unstoppable force.

Suarez signs on for another year

Nevertheless, Miami have opted to bring the forward back. Given that Suarez was and is not a Designated Player, it can be argued that keeping him around was a no-brainer.

Despite his advanced age and lack of mobility, the 38-year-old notched a very impressive 17 goals and 17 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions in 2025.

It will be interesting to see if Miami opt to bring in a marquee forward this offseason or if they are happy with their current options. The 2025 champions are currently in talks to bring the aforementioned Allende back to the club, as he was only on loan from Celta Vigo.

It has been suggested that Miami could bring in another former Barcelona star in Antoine Griezmann, who recently reiterated his desire to eventually move to MLS. He would almost certainly take up the club’s final Designated Player spot.

As things stand, though, Suarez will lead the line in 2026, allowing Messi to keep playing alongside his long-time partner in crime for another year.

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