Lionel Messi to join a Saudi club for a huge deal?

Lionel Messi, the Argentine football legend, is expected to play in Saudi Arabia next season as part of a high-paying deal, according to a person involved with the negotiations. Messi might be joining his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league, as the Gulf state uses its oil money to invest in sports. While no formal confirmation has been received from Messi’s current club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the source added that Messi is expected to sign a big contract with an unnamed Saudi team. This transfer comes two months after Messi, 35, hoisted the World Cup trophy in neighbouring Qatar in December.

‘Done deal!’

“Messi is a done deal,” said the insider, who revealed on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media. “He’ll be playing in Saudi Arabia next season.” They went on to say that the contract being negotiated is outstanding and of substantial worth, with only minor details remaining to be worked out. A different source from PSG, on the other hand, indicated that the Qatari-owned French club had not presented Messi with a new deal, meaning that if they intended to renew his term, it would have been done sooner.

Despite multiple speculations tying Messi to Al Hilal, a major Saudi Arabian club, club insiders denied any direct contact with PSG. Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, revealed on Instagram that his son had not made any decisions about his next club and stated, “There is no agreement signed with any club for next year.” The choice will be taken once Lionel concludes his season with PSG.”

Saudi Arabia transforming itself to a tourist and sports hub

Saudi Arabia is actively attempting to modernise its conservative society and expand its oil-dependent economy, having just lately opened its doors to non-Muslim tourists and permitted women to drive. The country has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on sporting deals, including the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo, hosting the Formula One event in Jeddah, and launching the controversial LIV Golf Tour. Some have accused Saudi Arabia of exploiting sports to distract attention away from its human rights situation.

PSG suspended Messi last week for unauthorised travel to Saudi Arabia, where he is a tourist ambassador. There have also been strong rumours that he may return to his former club, Barcelona. When asked about a potential Saudi contract, a representative for LaLiga’s Spanish executives said, “We don’t know anything about that.”

Following the path of Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi’s long-time rival, joined the Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr in a big deal back in January. Ronaldo’s contract, which runs until June 2025, is worth more than 400 million euros ($439 million), making him the most valuable athlete in the world. Both Ronaldo’s and Messi’s transfers, along with other endeavours such as LIV Golf and the acquisition of Newcastle United Football Club in 2021, are being financed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the largest sovereign wealth funds globally.

While last-minute alterations are frequent in moves with such large financial stakes, the source in Saudi Arabia stated that negotiations with Messi were going well. In comparison to Ronaldo’s transfer, the source added, “The negotiations did not take as long as those with Ronaldo.” We now know how to attract world-class players.” The insider clarified that Messi was drawn to Saudi Arabia rather than a specific team and that the funds needed for the agreement came from the PIF.

Despite Ronaldo’s presence, Al Nassr has not been successful, falling from first place in the Saudi Pro League and failing to win any of the domestic cup events. However, Messi’s acquisition is also intended to raise Saudi Arabia’s status as a tourism and investment destination.