Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi had reportedly agreed to acquire a 35% stake in MLS club Inter Miami FC and join the team as a player in 2023, but the news is “completely false,” according to his agent.
Messi would have joined an ownership group that includes football legend David Beckham and Cuban American businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas.
Inter Miami was valued at between $600 million and $650 million in 2021 after the Mas brothers increased their stake by buying a 48% share from tech entrepreneur Marcelo Claure and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son.
A 35% stake in Inter Miami is estimated to be worth more than $200 million.
Messi bringing his talents to Miami would follow the 34-year-old signing a two-year, $41 million deal with PSG in August 2021. The deal included bonuses, a third-year option, and a reported $30 million signing bonus.
