Lionel Messi accepts world-record Al Hilal contract offer - and TWO Barca stars could join him

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 8 May 2023 11:51 BST
• 3 min read

Lionel Messi has accepted a contract offer from Al-Hilal to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League from July, according to a report from Spain.

Messi will be a free agent at the end of his PSG deal in June, and after a falling out with the Ligue 1 club is destined to depart.

Al-Hilal have offered him a world-record salary to join the club – and according to El Chiringuito the World Cup winner has accepted the deal.

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He will be joined at the club by Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, who is also out of contract this summer. The Spain veteran has signed a two-year deal with Al-Hilal.

Furthermore, Jordi Alba has also been offered a two-year deal by the Saudi Pro League side, who appear intent on recreating the golden era of Barca in the Middle East.

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Sitting fourth in the Saudi Pro League standings, Al-Hilal will wish to muster a far greater title challenge next season, with Al-Ittihad leading the way in front of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the current table.

Indeed, the frustrating experience of Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia appears to have been little deterrent to Messi and Busquets from accepting contract offers from a rival club.

How much will Messi earn at Al-Hilal?

Messi is reportedly in line to receive an annual wage of $400 million, which will be the biggest deal ever signed by a sportsman. The World Cup winner is expected to pen a two-year contract with the club.

The news comes as Barcelona’s prospects of retaining the 35-year-old attacker look increasingly slim, with their financial position a major hurdle that they will struggle to overcome in a bid to lure Messi back to his Camp Nou home.

With no other major offers from Europe forthcoming and a much smaller bid discussed by Inter Miami, Messi appears destined to make Al-Hilal the third senior club of his career.