After nearly two years playing for Inter Miami, Lionel Messi is being targeted by the Saudi Pro League in the hope of bringing him back to the Middle East, where Cristiano Ronaldo is playing for Al Nassr.
According to information from TEAMtalk, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) has resumed negotiations with Messi's representative in recent days, in order to convince the Argentine superstar to join this tournament when his contract with Inter Miami ends.
Previously, in 2023, Messi rejected a €1.4 billion offer from Al Hilal to join Inter Miami, partly because of his family's wishes and football development opportunities in the US. However, with his current contract about to expire, Messi will become a free player from July 1, opening up the possibility of a new transfer.
The negotiations between PIF and Messi are in the preliminary stage. No specific club has been identified as a potential destination, but Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli are four big teams with a 75% stake in PIF, all of which could be optional.
Messi once shared in December 2023 that he had seriously considered moving to Saudi Arabia. As Saudi Arabia's tourism ambassador, Messi is well aware of the country's efforts to develop football and attract top stars.
If the deal is successful, fans could see the confrontation between Messi and Ronaldo happen again on the pitch, for the first time since Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018.
Ronaldo is playing for Al Nassr and is one of the top stars of the Saudi Pro League.
Meanwhile, Messi is still focusing on playing for Inter Miami and preparing with the team to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup.
However, with his contract about to expire and strong interest from Saudi Arabia, his future is becoming a hot topic in the football world.
Whether Messi will move to the Saudi Pro League or not is still a big question mark. However, if that happens, this will be one of the most notable transfer deals, not only because of Messi's name but also because of the symbolic significance of the confrontation between the two contemporary football legends.
