The Argentine's current contract with the Florida club was due to expire in December and will be renewed until the end of the 2028 season, with no option to extend, a source close to the negotiations told AFP.
This means that the '10' will reach the next World Cup, if he plays as expected, as an Inter player. The previous one, back in 2022 and with victory over France in an epic final, he faced it as a Paris Saint-Germain player.
Messi is a mass idol at the Chase Stadium club, where he retains the star status that marked his career at Barcelona. His performances continue to be outstanding, albeit in a lower league in terms of pace and quality.
The fact that he has been crowned top scorer in the MLS regular season, with 29 goals in 28 appearances - in addition to the 19 assists he has provided - shows that Leo is still keen to compete.
Keys to the negotiation
The former Barcelona star had been negotiating for months to extend a contract that this season earned him a salary of 20.4 million dollars (around 17.5 million euros).
It is the largest by far in MLS, and that does not include other income from agreements such as Apple TV+, the platform that broadcasts the North American league worldwide.
When he retires, the Rosarino will be assured of an ownership stake in the club, a franchise with only five years of history that underwent a complete transformation with his arrival in mid-2023.
Jorge Mas, the club's majority shareholder, and David Beckham, a minority owner, were keen for the football star to remain at Inter until at least the opening of the new 25,000-seat Miami Freedom Park stadium in 2026.