Still linked to Inter Miami, where he extended his contract until 2028, Lionel Messi could have, for a break, set foot on the lawns of the Saudi championship. The idea came from the player himself, wanting to maintain his competitive rhythm during the MLS break. This was revealed by Abdallah Hammad, general director of the Mahd Academy for Talent Development, in a Saudi media podcast. Thmanya.
“Messi’s team contacted me during the Club World Cup last summer. He wanted to play in Saudi Arabia during the four-month hiatus from the American Championship to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.he explained, taken up by L’Équipe.. An approach which recalled that of a certain David Beckham, already the author of a similar freelance when he played at the Los Angeles Galaxy. “The same thing happened with (David) Beckham when he played for the Los Angeles Galaxy and left to play in Milan”he added.
“This is not a training camp”
But unlike Beckham, the eight-time Ballon d’Or did not win his case. Abdallah Hammad says that the proposal did not pass muster with the kingdom’s sports authorities: “I submitted the proposal to the minister, but he refused to allow Messi to come for only four months, and the file was closed. He said the Saudi Championship would not be a training camp. »
Since the resounding signing of Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr at the start of 2023, the Saudi Pro League has nevertheless increased its prestigious recruitments, Karim Benzema, Neymar and even Kanté, strengthening its global aura. The arrival of Messi, once expected at Al-Hilal before joining Inter Miami in 2023, would have constituted a new coup for Saudi football, now host of the 2034 World Cup.
