Lionel Messi's Journey at Inter Miami Comes to a Close After Club World Cup Exit

Lionel Messi's two-week stint at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 has come to an end, with Inter Miami handing a 4-0 thumping to Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. The loss puts the attention back on Major League Soccer (MLS) for Inter Miami, where Messi will lead the team in their Eastern Conference campaign. The 38-year-old will continue in his third year at Miami, but questions remain over his future plans with the club and country. Despite the team's loss, Messi praised PSG, saying the result was "expected" and that the European champions were in "really good shape."

Key Takeaways:

• Lionel Messi's contract with Inter Miami ends in 2025, and the club's owners are hopeful of extending his stay.
• Messi will continue to lead Inter Miami in their Eastern Conference campaign in MLS, but it is unclear whether he will start in their next match against Montreal.
• The Barcelona legend has not committed to his future openly, and a possible return to the Catalan club is on the table after they settle their financial debt owed to him.
• Messi's representative, David Beckham, has expressed optimism over Messi's future plans with the club, saying he hopes Messi will finish his career with Inter Miami.
• Messi will not earn a guaranteed compensation of $20.4m in 2025, with a base salary of $12m, but the amount is not clear.
• The Argentinian footballer has hinted at his possible retirement, saying he is conscious of playing his final matches and enjoying them to the maximum.
• Messi did not score in Inter Miami's 4-0 loss to PSG, but he praised the European champions, saying they were in good shape.
• A possible return to the FIFA World Cup for Messi has been floated, with Argentina's coach working on getting him to continue playing for the national team.
• Messi played for Argentina in the qualifiers but was injured and missed the last few matches.

Statistics:

• $20.4m: The amount Messi is set to earn in guaranteed compensation in 2025, with a base salary of $12m (source: [https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/6/29/neves-scores-two-as-psg-thrash-inter-miami-to-reach-club-world-cup-quarters](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/6/29/neves-scores-two-as-psg-thrash-inter-miami-to-reach-club-world-cup-quarters)).
• $7m: The amount Barcelona is waiting to settle to bring Messi back to the club (source: [https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/articles-video/barcelona-salda-su-deuda-con-leo-messi-primer-paso-para-un-posible-regreso-2025-06-29](https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/articles-video/barcelona-salda-su-deuda-con-leo-messi-primer-paso-para-un-posible-regreso-2025-06-29)).
• 3rd and his first FIFA World Cup crown: Messi led Argentina to their third World Cup title in 2022 (source: [https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2022/12/18/messis-argentina-beat-france-on-penalties-to-win-world-cup](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2022/12/18/messis-argentina-beat-france-on-penalties-to-win-world-cup)).

Sources:

• "Neves scores two as PSG thrash Inter Miami to reach Club World Cup quarters" (Al Jazeera, June 29, 2025)
• "Lionel Messi scores in MLS return as Inter Miami edge Philadelphia Union" (Al Jazeera, March 30, 2025)
• "Barcelona's debt to Leo Messi: First step towards a possible return" (BeIN Sports, June 29, 2025)
• "Which teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and who are out?" (Al Jazeera, June 11, 2025)
• "Messi's Argentina begin World Cup qualifying process with tight win" (Al Jazeera, March, 2025)