"It's completely false."
Messi's relatives are formal and assured us this Tuesday: contrary to what DirecTV journalist Alex Candal announced, the Argentinian from PSG is not preparing to acquire 35% of the rights to the American franchise of Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club, of which David Beckham is co-owner, nor to commit to it in the summer of 2023, at the end of his contract in Paris.
"Leo has not yet decided on his future", we also specify in the entourage of the sevenfold Ballon d'Or.
And if Leo Messi has crossed paths with David Beckham in recent hours, it is only as part of PSG's stay in Doha where the former English midfielder was fulfilling his role as ambassador for the next World Cup in Qatar.
đź’Łđź’Ł BOMBA DE @Alex_candal đź’Łđź’Ł
🗣️ "Messi is going to acquire 35% of the shares of Inter de Miami y en el verano de 2023 se incorporation al team" pic.twitter.com/GtLbjtF0P5
— Futbol Total DIRECTV (@DTVTotal) May 16, 2022
This isn't the first time Messi's name has been associated with Inter Miami, however.
On the occasion of the official presentation of the new 2021 jersey of the American franchise, Beckham had already expressed the desire to bring in stars of European football like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
"Of course, we always want to bring in great players," he explained.
Miami is a city that appeals to everyone and those kinds of players are the ones we aspire to bring here.”
Lionel Messi, himself, had speculated that his career would end in the United States in an interview on Spanish television in December 2020 as his relationship with FC Barcelona deteriorated.
"I always had the dream of being able to live and appreciate the United States, and to experience what their League is," he said.
In fact, a few weeks later, the leaders of Inter Miami had pushed hard to enlist the Argentine star after a two-year extension with Barça.
“I am optimistic that Messi will one day wear the Miami jersey because it will complete the legacy of the best player of our generation and it will correspond to the ambition, for the owners of Inter Miami, to build a team of world class,” Jorge Mas, one of the club’s co-owners, told the Miami Herald last June.
The arrival of Messi at PSG did not discourage the leaders of the franchise.
In February, Jorge Mas spoke again in the Miami Herald: “Leo Messi is still one of the best players in the world, his skills have not diminished.
David (Beckham) has a relationship with him, so if he leaves PSG, the moment he leaves, we would like to see Lionel Messi play at Inter Miami and be part of our community.
Can this happen?
We will push in this direction.
I am an optimist at heart.
Could I see this happening?
It's a possibility.
»
According to those close to him, Lionel Messi should not make a choice about his future before the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.
The 34-year-old is tied to PSG at least until June 2023. He has an optional year, and can stay in Paris until 2024 if he and the capital club decide.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/S7UVDTX7DREC7DXVCZN6MEKGBY.jpg)
