Game-Changer: Messi’s Mega Move to Saudi Arabia Confirmed
A source told AFP on Tuesday that Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia in the upcoming season, potentially joining his archrival Cristiano Ronaldo as the kingdom lavishes its oil wealth on sports.
Messi will sign a “huge” contract with an unnamed club, according to a source close to the negotiations, which are occurring just months after the 35-year-old won the World Cup in Qatar.
“Messi is a done deal. Next season, he will play in Saudi Arabia, a source said on condition of anonymity.
“The contract is remarkable. It is vast. The source, who was not authorized to speak with the media, added, “We’re just finalizing a few minor details.”
AFP was unable to obtain confirmation from Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain, which stated only that he was under contract until June 30.
If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have done so earlier, according to a separate PSG source.
Five years after allowing non-Muslim tourists to visit and women to drive, Saudi Arabia is attempting to liberalize its society and diversify its oil-dependent economy.
The world’s largest oil exporter has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on sports deals such as Ronaldo’s signing, F1 in Jeddah, and the controversial LIV Golf tour, which has led to frequent accusations that it is “sports washing” its human rights record.
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Last week, Messi was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG for an unapproved midseason trip to Saudi Arabia, where he serves as a tourism ambassador.
- ‘Not a specific club’
His anticipated arrival will follow in the footsteps of his longtime sparring partner Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in January in a massive deal.
Forbes estimates that Ronaldo’s contract through June 2025 is worth more than $439 million, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world.
According to the source, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, is financing both transactions, as well as others such as LIV Golf and the 2021 purchase of Newcastle United football club.
“The negotiations took significantly less time than those with Ronaldo. As we now know the recipe to contract world-class players,” said the source.
“Saudi Arabia brought him, not a particular club. The Funds come from a single source — PIF.”
Despite numerous reports linking Messi to one of the top Saudi teams, Al Hilal, club sources told AFP that they had not been in direct contact with Messi’s team.
“He is at the end of his career as a professional football player, and he is not here solely for football. Following the Messi negotiations, a source stated, “He’s here to attract international attention to the kingdom.”
“The plan is to bring not only Messi and Ronaldo but also promising young players with a bright future, such as Messi and Ronaldo.”
“We want people to visit Saudi Arabia to watch football stars,” said the source. “Who could have imagined that foreigners would attend local league matches? Simply the Ronaldo effect.”
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- PSG protesters
Messi, who will turn 36 in June, has had two disappointing seasons in Paris after a glorious period at Barcelona in which he won four Champions League and ten La Liga titles, but he is still revered by the fans.
The record-setting seven-time world player of the Year scored just 11 goals in his first season as he led PSG to a routine Ligue 1 title. He joined a potent attack that included Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Despite the presence of the illustrious Argentine, Paris Saint-Germain have fallen twice in the round of 16 and are no closer to claiming their first Champions League title.
Anger boiled over last week when black-clad PSG protesters set off flares and directed hostile chants at Messi, Neymar, and Italian midfielder Marco Verratti for underperforming.
The angry scenes contrasted with Messi’s career-defining moment in December, when he led Argentina to a breathless World Cup final victory over Mbappe and France in Doha, thereby closing the largest gap in his resume.
According to officials, Saudi Arabia has held discussions with Egypt and Greece regarding a joint World Cup bid. In the coming years, the country will host the Asian Cup for men’s football, the Asian Games, and even the Asian Winter Games on artificial snow.
On Tuesday, the state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco reported quarterly profits of $31.9 billion, which is greater than three-quarters of the combined revenues of oil majors BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and TotalEnergies.
Game-Changer: Messi’s Mega Move to Saudi Arabia Confirmed
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