Lionel Messi will see his midfield strengthened with Inter Miami reportedly securing the signing of Paraguay World Cup standout Matias Galarza.
Lionel Messi has seen significant roster turnover at Inter Miami as the secondary MLS transfer window reaches its climax. Following a flurry of official announcements, the Herons are set to bolster their squad once more, reportedly securing Paraguay‘s 2026 World Cup standout Matias Galarza.
With the secondary transfer window closing Wednesday, September 2, Inter Miami have remained active in the market. The Herons previously announced the addition of winger Riquelme Fillipi from Palmeiras, and the South Florida club is now finalizing another key South American addition to its central rotation.
According to transfer insider Cesar Luis Merlo, Inter Miami have completed an agreement to sign Galarza from Argentine side River Plate. The deal is structured as a year-long loan through June 2027, incorporating a conditional mandatory purchase clause tied to performance metrics.
Per Merlo’s reporting, the purchase clause triggers if Galarza features in 66 percent or more of Inter Miami‘s official matches during the loan spell. Activating the option would require the MLS side to pay a $3 million fee for 50 percent of the Paraguayan midfielder’s rights, with River Plate retaining the remaining share.
Matías Galarza #88 of Atlanta United pressed by Wiki Carmona #16 of CF Montreal. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The move addresses midfield depth following the departure of David Ruiz to Red Bull New York, which the club announced earlier in the day. Red Bull New York acquired Ruiz on loan through the remainder of the 2026 MLS season with a purchase option, with Inter Miami receiving $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) in return.
The transfer sets up Galarza’s first opportunity to play alongside Messi, despite both features across MLS and CONMEBOL competition previously. During a brief loan stint with Atlanta United earlier in 2026, Galarza never crossed paths with Messi on the field, and he remained an unused substitute during Paraguay’s World Cup qualifying fixtures against Argentina in 2023 and 2024.
Galarza’s standout World Cup campaign
Galarza previously fell out of favor at River Plate due to inconsistent form, leading to an initial loan move to Atlanta United in early 2026. However, the midfielder re-established his profile with a standout campaign for Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup.
After sitting out Paraguay’s opening match against the USMNT, manager Gustavo Alfaro inserted Galarza into the starting XI for Matchday 2, where he scored the game-winning goal in the second minute against Turkey. He followed that performance by winning six tackles in a scoreless draw against Australia, helping Paraguay advance out of Group D.
Galarza delivered another key moment in the Round of 32, assisting Julio Enciso’s opener in a 1-1 draw against Germany before converting his attempt in the subsequent penalty shootout victory. Though Paraguay’s tournament run ended with a 1-0 defeat to France in the Round of 16, Galarza emerged from the competition as one of the national team’s top individual performers.