Lionel Messi celebrates Argentina winning the World Cup in December. (USA TODAY Sports)

Lionel Messi reportedly will join Inter Miami CF.

The captain of Argentina’s World Cup championship side has decided to sign with the Major League Soccer team, according to Guillem Balague. The Athletic and the Independent also followed up with reports that Messi will become a member of Inter Miami.

Balague, who works for CBS Sports and BBC and wrote Messi’s authorized biography that “Messi has decided. His destination: Inter Miami.”

If he does, it will be 16 years after Inter Miami part-owner David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy in 2007, which helped usher in a new era of teams acquiring foreign players.

Miami resides in the MLS Eastern Conference cellar.

Barcelona and a Saudi Arabia team were among Messi’s other possibilities.

There has been no official announcement from Inter Miami.

The 35-year-old Messi’s reputation precedes him as a scoring machine and someone who could set up teammates with his inhuman moves and talent. He played for Barcelona for two decades, leading the La Liga club to 10 Spanish titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns. He is also a seven-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner.

After Barca endured a financial crisis in 2021, Messi joined Paris St-Germain.

In December, Messi led Argentina to his first World Cup championship.

The Athletic reported earlier this week that should Messi join Inter Miami, he could debut in the new Leagues Cup competition between Liga MX and MLS. Inter Miami are scheduled to play Mexico’s Cruz Azul at home on Friday, July 21 to start group stage play.

Messi turns 36 on June 24.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.