The Saudi Pro League is determined to bring Lionel Messi to Saudi Arabia to join forces with Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports. Ronaldo signed a huge 2-and-a-half-year deal worth $200 million a year with Al-Nassr and made his league debut on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Ettifaq.
Messi is currently signed with Paris Saint-Germain until the end of the season, but the French club is eager to extend his contract. However, Saudi league officials have openly expressed their goal to have Messi, the Argentina World Cup-winning captain, play in their country.
In the Saudi capital of Riyadh, soccer enthusiasts had the opportunity to witness an amazing matchup between two world-renowned superstars when PSG went up against a Saudi selection team comprising players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.
The match ended with PSG prevailing 5-4, with both Messi and Ronaldo adding to the score. With the two having won a total of 12 Ballon d’Or awards between them, it was a sight to behold for the fans at the King Fahd International Stadium.
The Saudi Pro League is keen to tempt Lionel Messi to Saudi Arabia to join Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has signed a 2½ year deal worth $200 million a year with Al Nassr, for whom he made his league debut in a 1-0 win over Ettifaq on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/DsglLhjGYS— KING 🪡 BELLO (@AnokplimBello) January 27, 2023
Reports have been made that Saudi Arabian teams may receive aid to acquire some of the top players from Europe after Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr. Messi has a contract with PSG that is set to end this summer, and he is able to extend it for one more year.
Although it hasn’t been ruled out that the 35-year-old could stay in Paris, sources have indicated to ESPN that if he decides to leave, there will be Saudi Pro League clubs interested in him. Messi could potentially receive a salary in Saudi Arabia that is equal to or greater than the monster contract that Ronaldo has taken, making him the highest-paid athlete on the planet.
Saudi Arabian professional clubs are now permitted to enlist up to eight foreign players, an increase from the previous seven, in a bid to draw more international players to the league.
Will Lionel Messi renew with PSG or move away to the Saudi League?
Reports suggest that Lionel Messi has no intention of staying with Paris Saint Germain after his contract expires. The Argentinian star joined the French side in the summer of 2021, coming from his longtime team FC Barcelona. It appears that he is not planning to extend his stay with the Ligue 1 club.
The financially challenged Catalans were unable to take advantage of Messi’s status as a free agent and adhere to the stringent salary cap imposed by La Liga, thus allowing Paris Saint Germain to move in and ink a two-year agreement with the Argentine. This agreement is set to expire on June 30th, leaving Messi’s future in uncertain waters.
JUST IN: Gerard Romero says Lionel Messi is not interested to renew his contract at PSG anymore! 😳#PSG #Messi pic.twitter.com/yIVRelfr4V
— Sportskeeda Football (@skworldfootball) January 23, 2023
Before the World Cup, it had been suggested that Messi was planning to extend his stay in Paris, yet recent reports suggest that nothing is certain. Gerard Romero, a renowned expert on FC Barcelona’s transfer activity, has recently reported that Lionel Messi has no desire to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
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