The Saudi Pro League is “keen to tempt” Lionel Messi to join his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia should the Argentinian superstar choose to leave Paris Saint-Germain, ESPN reports.
Ronaldo completed a move to Saudi club Al Nassr last month on a two-and-a-half-year deal worth over $200 million per season.
The 37-year-old’s first game in Saudi Arabia actually came against Messi, when Qatari-owned PSG beat a combined XI of Saudi Arabian teams Al Nassr and Al Hilal 5-4 in an exhibition match on Jan. 19.
Messi, 35, is under contract with PSG until the end of the season, but does have the option to extend it another year. Renowned soccer insider Fabrizio Ramono has also reported that Messi and PSG have reached a verbal agreement on a contract extension.
It’s not the first time Messi has been linked to Saudi Arabia. According to Spanish news outlet Marca, two Saudi Arabian clubs are willing to pay Messi upwards of $300 million per season. Messi was also unveiled as a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia during a trip to Jeddah in May, just a few months before winning the World Cup on Saudi Arabian soil.
The PSG star, who spent nearly his entire career with FC Barcelona before making a move to France in 2021, has also been linked to MLS club Inter Miami.
