Lionel Messi could be leaving Inter Miami soon according to Herons head coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino.
The club is smack dab in the middle of a FIFA furore after their controversial entry into next summer's Club World Cup. And amidst the chaos, question marks have been raised over Messi's future following Miami's play-off upset on Saturday.
Despite winning the Eastern Conference with ease, the Florida-based franchise was denied the chance to lift the MLS Cup after losing 3-2 to Atalanta United – who ended the season 34 points and eight places behind Miami. After the game, Martino cast doubt on the long-term future of the club's superstar Argentinian, who has scored 34 goals in 39 Miami games this year.
"I actually don't know how limited [Messi's time in this league] is," he said. "There is a question of time passing, but I would not dare to say that it is so short.
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"If you look at the context in which this began, it seems to me that the progress of the club is important. The comparison of the last game of last season, back in October, with today's third game in the playoffs and this bitterness that we all have for not having progressed, is clear that the club's objectives have been modified and I think there is no reason for the club not to continue trying next year.
"What happened this year, the bad and the good in general have been better than everything that happened last year and I would say even from the entire life of the club."
Messi's contract with Miami runs into the end of the 2025 season, with an option to extend it a further year. The 37-year-old is expected to see out his deal, but there are rumours he's considering a move to boyhood club Newell's Old Boys – something David Beckham will hope to avoid before his deal expires.
FIFA will be hoping he'll stick around long enough in Florida to play in the newly formatted Club World Cup next year, particularly after contentiously including Miami in the tournament. The decision sparked an outcry among American soccer fans, with many crying foul over the lack of clear selection guidelines for the global event, insinuating potential favouritism at play.
Despite Miami's defeat on Saturday, their meteoric rise since Messi's arrival cannot be understated. In 2023, they ended the year second-from-bottom in the Eastern Conference, with just nine wins in 34 league games (four of which were clinched after Messi joined).
Fast-forward 12 months and they not only finished top of the table but also set an MLS points record of 74. But they'll have to wait until next year to get their hands on the MLS Cup – a prize that club co-owner David Beckham won twice as a player with the LA Galaxy.
