Inter Miami confident Messi's contract will be renewed

Lionel Messi appeared in all four of Inter Miami's Club World Cup matches

Inter Miami are confident they will renew Lionel Messi's contract, which expires in December.

The 38-year-old forward is a marquee player for Miami and Major League Soccer (MLS), and all parties have begun contract negotiations to extend his stay in the United States.

There is widespread belief from officials at the club and within MLS he will renew, while sources on Messi's side say he is very open to extending his stay despite reported interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia.

One motivating factor in keeping Messi in the US is to continue drawing attention to the league, with the 2026 World Cup approaching across North America. While not confirmed, the suspicion is Messi will end his international career following Argentina's title defence.

Messi is the all-time record goalscorer in Miami's short history with 50 goals, including his most recent strike for the club - a free-kick in the Club World Cup against Porto.

Miami were knocked out of the cup in a 4-0 defeat by European champions Paris St-Germain in front of 65,574 fans in Atlanta.