With MLS' roster rules severely limiting Inter Miami's spending, how have the Herons managed to sign another high-impact -- and high-earning -- friend of Lionel Messi's?

Lionel Messi has been the most visible superstar in Major League Soccer since joining American club Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, and as such his surprise absence from the 2025 MLS All-Star game came as a shock.

By the time the 60th minute rolled around, the boisterous — and largely pro-Lionel Messi — crowd had nearly reached a fever pitch at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

(CNN) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were knocked out of the Club World Cup Round of 16 by European champion Paris Saint-Germain in dominant fashion 4-0 on Sunday. It was PSG’s third clean sheet in its last four matches. Messi, who spent two seasons between 2021-23 with PSG, saw his former team score early and often in front of more than 65,000 fans at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in ...

Messi’s place among free-kick legends. Messi’s goal against Porto wasn’t just a match-winner. It marked the 68th free-kick goal of his storied career — and his fifth since joining Inter Miami.Thus, the veteran now ranks third in the all-time list of most free-kick goals in soccer history.. Most free-kick goals in soccer history