Messi stepped it up in the waning minutes, his awkwardly angled shot from the right in the 85th minute blocked and a blast from the center of the box saved in the 86th before he found the back of the net in the 89th.

"During the last Club World Cup, Messi's team contacted me and offered for him to play in Saudi Arabia because the MLS will stop for nearly four months," Abdullah Hammad, CEO of the Mahd Sports Academy, said during a podcast with Saudi platform Thmanyah.

Inter Miami's eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid footballer in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles FC's recent arrival Son Heung-min second, according to an updated salary list published on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old striker for Inter Miami of MLS led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and yearns to be on the field when the "Albiceleste" defend the crown next year in North America.

Lionel Messi’s latest brace carried the usual brilliance but it was the unusual part of it -- a rare header -- that drew the biggest reaction as Inter Miami beat Nashville SC 3-1 in the opening game of their MLS playoff series in Fort Lauderdale on Friday.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi scored twice to lift Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over Nashville SC on Friday in the opening game of their MLS Cup round one playoff series.

Lionel Messi has agreed a contract extension with Inter Miami which will see the Argentine superstar remain in Major League Soccer until the end of the 2028 season, the club confirmed on Thursday.

As Morocco celebrated their historic FIFA U-20 World Cup triumph in Santiago, La Pulga took to Instagram with a message that summed up both pain and pride.

Messi, 38, finished the regular season with 29 goals and 19 assists, securing the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer.

Messi finishes the regular season with 29 goals while all but clinching the Golden Boot.

“Yesterday I asked him if he was ready to play, and he said yes. It’s always a joy for us,” said coach Lionel Scaloni, praising his captain’s readiness and leadership.

Lionel Messi scored twice to spark Inter Miami to a 4-0 victory over Atlanta United, seizing the lead in Major League Soccer's scoring table in a key victory for the Florida club.

Argentina shrugged off the absence of Lionel Messi to ease to 1-0 victory over Venezuela in a friendly international in Miami on Friday.

Argentina superstar Messi had gone into Saturday's game in Toronto in blistering form, bagging five goals in his previous three appearances for Miami.

Another classic performance from Messi propelled the Argentine superstar to the solo lead on Major League Soccer's scoring list, taking him to 24 goals in 23 matches played -- two more than LAFC's Denis Bouanga.

Ousmane Dembele has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or after an outstanding 2024-25 season with Paris Saint-Germain, a campaign highlighted by lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy.

The 38-year-old now has 22 goals in 22 matches played this season. With his seventh double of the MLS season he moved to the top of the league scoring list, passing England's Sam Surridge, who has 21 for Nashville.

An official announcement is expected within the next two weeks.

The goal was Messi's 20th in MLS play, one behind league leader Sam Surridge of Nashville SC.

The sale surpasses the $1.33 million paid for a 1958 Alifabolaget Pele card in 2022, making it the most expensive soccer card on record.