A source close to Lionel Messi has denied a report that the Paris Saint-Germain superstar will be investing in MLS club Inter Miami before joining as a player in 2023, and this comes just a day after being photographed with co-owner and president David Beckham in Doha, per a report in Le Parisen. 

Alex Candal of DIRECTV Sports reported on Monday that Messi was going to acquire a 35 percent stake in the club and officially join as a player during the 2023 season. “It’s completely false,” the Paris paper wrote, citing a source close to Messi. “Leo has not yet decided on his future.”

Obviously, Inter Miami fans have plenty of reason to hope they land Messi, especially since the results haven’t been there since the club began, winning 19 of 57 matches in the league. And we already know that Messi has invested in real estate in Miami, he owns an entire floor in a luxury condo building there. He’s been there numerous times on vacation with his family, and he’s been linked with MLS often, which is common for many legendary players towards the end of their career. 

It’s not the first time Messi has been linked with MLS either. Before leaving Barcelona for PSG, when Manchester City were bidding for the superstar’s services, he was reportedly offered the option to move to NYCFC after several years in the Premier League. 

The fact that Inter Miami are owned by Beckham, adds another wrinkle, as Beckham was previously the league’s highest profile transfer, moving to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007. In fact, as part of the contract that lured him to L.A. he was given the option to buy an MLS expansion team, that option eventually became Inter Miami, the team that Beckham is reportedly trying to lure Messi into investing in and playing for. 

Messi’s current contract with PSG expires in June of 2023, opening up a potential move to MLS. When his contract expires, he will be 36 years of age.