Ronaldo-Messi rivalry to return! 'A club in Saudi Arabia will sign Messi'

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 3 min read

Lionel Messi could soon join old rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, with reports suggesting that the former Barcelona and Real Madrid players could soon square off again in the Pro League.

Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr in December following his release from Manchester United a month earlier, and Messi has been tipped to make the switch to the Middle East to follow in the 37-year-old’s footsteps.

The World Cup winner, who scored on his return to action with PSG on Wednesday, is out of contract in the summer, and while discussions have been opened with the Ligue 1 club, no decision has been made official.

MORE: Why did Lionel Messi and Wout Weghorst fall out?

Indeed, Nasser Al-Attiyah, the cousin of the Emir of Qatar, has intimated that the 35-year-old will move to Saudi Arabia.

“It’s difficult for Messi to return to Barcelona from PSG,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “PSG have a very strong economic position, they have a good balance sheet and a very clear plan.

“From what I see – taking into account Al-Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo for a crazy amount of millions of dollars – I’m sure that in three to six months, a club in Saudi Arabia will also sign Messi.

“And I can tell you which team: I’m sure he will go to Al-Hilal. He will not return to Barcelona. He will go to Saudi Arabia. There’s a lot of money there and the players are looking for a big contract.”

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Messi’s Saudi Arabia links

Messi already has links with the country as he is an ambassador for their 2030 World Cup bid, despite the possibility of Argentina being involved in a rival project. Incidentally, it has been strongly denied by Al-Nassr that Ronaldo will be an ambassador for the competition.

It is likely, meanwhile, that Al-Hilal will want to respond to Al-Nassr’s purchase of Ronaldo by snapping up Messi.

The Argentine, though, has been more closely associated with a move to MLS, where he has been linked with David Beckham’s Inter Miami franchise. Such a deal, though, would not be as lucrative.