Messi wished to join Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, but was rejected | OneFootball

The officials in charge of football in Saudi Arabia blocked the signing of Lionel Messi by a club from the Saudi Pro League. The star was reportedly interested in joining the Middle Eastern country, but the possibility was rejected due to the amount of time he intended to spend in the league where Cristiano Ronaldo plays – who recently made a sensational announcement.

Before renewing with Inter Miami, Lionel Messi reportedly tried to move to Saudi Arabia. The Argentine star is said to have inquired with football officials in the Middle Eastern country about the possibility of joining the Saudi Pro League for four months – which would coincide with the MLS break that happens shortly before the start of the 2026 World Cup, where the captain of the Albiceleste national team hopes to be in peak physical condition.

, in a podcast by the Saudi newspaper 'Thmanya', which explained all the details about Lionel Messi's request, as well as the response from Saudi football officials.

"Messi's representatives contacted me during the Club World Cup last summer. He wanted to play in Saudi Arabia during the four-month MLS break to prepare for the 2026 World Cup", Abdallah Hammad began to explain.

The Saudi official continued, later explaining the negative response to Cristiano Ronaldo's rival: "I presented the proposal to the Minister of Sports, but he refused to allow Messi to come for just four months and the matter was closed. He said the Saudi League would not be a training ground".

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.