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Messi was once sought after by Saudi Arabia. Photo: Reuters . |
According to Mr. Abdullah Hammad, CEO of Mahd Sports Academy, Messi's side proactively contacted him during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, proposing the possibility of playing in Saudi Arabia for 4 months when the 2025 MLS season ends.
“Messi’s team contacted me and asked him to play in Saudi Arabia because MLS will be closed for almost four months. Messi wants to maintain his fitness and prepare for the 2026 World Cup,” Hammad shared on a podcast.
Hammad also compared this case to David Beckham, who was loaned to AC Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2009 and 2010 to maintain his fitness during the MLS winter break. However, Messi's request was not accepted by Saudi Arabia.
“I presented the proposal to the Sports Minister, but he insisted that the Saudi Pro League would not become a training ground for other tournaments,” Hammad added.
Al Hilal – the top club in the Saudi Pro League – once wanted to own Messi and agreed to put a contract worth 200 million USD on the negotiating table. This team was even willing to break all salary records, but was rejected by Messi in 2023. Finally, M10 chose to join Inter Miami in MLS.
Messi is currently playing impressively in MLS. He scored 31 goals in the 2025 season and won the tournament's Golden Boot.
Source: https://znews.vn/saudi-arabia-doi-thai-do-voi-messi-post1598571.html
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