Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has signed a contract through the 2025 season with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer team announced on Saturday.

The 36-year-old striker, who sparked Argentina to a World Cup title last year in Qatar, is set to be unveiled by the team in a Sunday ceremony and expected to join Inter Miami on the pitch by Friday.

"I'm very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States," Messi said in a statement.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's arrival in Miami from Paris Saint-Germain has already caused a sensation and is expected to spark greater interest in the game and MLS across the United States.

It's also hoped the long-time Barcelona talisman can revive the fortunes of a Miami squad at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference at 5-13 with three drawn.

"This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project," Messi said. "The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set and I'm very eager to start helping here in my new home."

Messi's debut match is planned for Friday when Inter Miami will host Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, a revamped competition between MLS and Mexican league squads.

It's the biggest boost for MLS since English star David Beckham, now a co-owner of Inter Miami, joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007. He launched the MLS Miami squad in 2020 after years of trying to find a stadium site.

"Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city, players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation in this sport that we love so much," Beckham said in a statement.

Messi is a two-time World Cup Golden Ball winner, a three-time UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award winner who also has six La Liga Best Player titles.

Messi is a four-time UEFA Champions League winner, an Olympic gold medal winner, has played on 10 La Liga champions, two Ligue 1 champions and taken seven Copa del Rey titles.

He played for Barcelona from 2004-2021 before joining Paris Saint-Germain for two seasons, making 75 appearances across all competitions, tallying 32 goals and 35 assists.