Messi to Saudi! - Pro League to give Leo DOUBLE Ronaldo salary

Tom Weber

• Updated: 15 Mar 2023 15:16 GMT
• 3 min read

A new twist has appeared in the Lionel Messi tale as the World Cup winner is now reportedly on his way to Saudi Arabia - thanks to the country's government.

According to reports backed up by Marca, Argentine legend Messi could soon reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia when his contract is up in the summer.

Asian behemoths Al-Hilal are understood to be on the verge of making a massive $400 million-per-year offer, which would see Messi earn twice as much as his Portuguese rival.

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If reports are to be believed, Al-Hilal will be supported in their bid to bring Messi to the Pro League by the Saudi Ministry of Sports, and the government would even consider changing its salary laws to accommodate arguably the greatest player of all time.

Messi is no stranger to the Arabian Peninsula's largest nation. He became a tourist ambassador for Saudi Arabia last year in a move that earned him deserved criticism given the country's human rights record.

As for his potential new side, Al-Hilal are one of the most storied teams in Asia, winning the Asian Champions League as recently as 2021 and being the competitions record champions. They faced Real Madrid in the Club World Cup final in February.

If completed, this move would give the footballing world fresh instalments of the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry. The latter has lit up the Pro League with Al-Nassr, scoring eight goals in seven games since his December move.

No Barca return?

Messi has been linked with several clubs in bygone months, most recently being tipped for a return to Barcelona.

Journalist Gerard Romero even went so far as to claim that the chances of Lionel Messi re-signing with Barcelona stand at 60 per cent and that Barcelona's legal team are in talks with Messi's entourage. Given Barca's financial struggles, they likely won't be able to match Al-Hilal's mind-boggling offer.

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Messi has also been linked with David Beckham's Inter Miami as well as his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys.