Thursday, October 30, 2025
Saudi Arabia Rejected Lionel Messi’s Offer to Play During MLS Break
Saudi Arabia turned down an offer to bring football star Lionel Messi to play a short-term spell in the Saudi Pro League, a senior official has confirmed.
Abdullah Hammad, CEO of the Mahd Sports Academy, revealed on a podcast with Thmanyah that Messi’s representatives contacted him with a proposal. They wanted Messi to play in Saudi Arabia during the four-month break in the Major League Soccer (MLS) season. Trending: Saudi Arabia approves new rules for expatriates labor outsourcing
Hammad said:
“During the last Club World Cup, Messi’s team reached out and suggested he could play in Saudi Arabia since the MLS season stops for nearly four months. The player wanted to stay active and prepare for the 2026 World Cup.”
Hammad passed the proposal to the Minister of Sports, who rejected it, explaining that the Saudi Pro League should not be used just as a training ground for players preparing for other tournaments.
The conversation also compared Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s attitudes toward new challenges. While Messi had strict conditions and stayed emotionally connected to Barcelona, Ronaldo fully accepted the experience of playing in a new country, league, and culture when he joined Al Nassr in 2022.
Messi had been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, but he chose instead to join Inter Miami in the United States, where he recently extended his contract until 2028. Most Viewed: 10,000 steps or Walking for 15 minutes, study reveals
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| Saudi Arabia Rejected Lionel Messi’s Offer to Play During MLS Break |
