Lionel Messi in talks to join shock club from Inter Miami and he could earn more than Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi is reportedly being pursued by a shock club as the Inter Miami man is set to become a free agent in December.
Messi, 38, joined David Beckham-owned Inter Miami in 2023 and has registered 52 goals and 25 assists for the MLS side in just 64 appearances.
Of course, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is enjoying the twilight years of an illustrious career, but has shown on multiple occasions that he can still roll back the years.
On Sunday, he scored a brace in Miami’s 1-4 win against Montreal, which put the Herons sixth in the MLS after 21 games this season.
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But Messi’s future at the club is in doubt, with a shock report from French outlet L’Equipe suggesting he could move on when he becomes a free agent in December.
The outlet claims that Saudi Pro League side and current AFC Champions League holders Al Ahli have been working to convince Messi to join, although Miami are keen to retain the player beyond the winter.
The financial details involved are unclear at this time, but the Saudis’ interest in Messi is no secret.
If Messi were to join the side he would become teammates with former Premier League stars Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney. Al Ahli finished fifth in the Saudi Pro League last season.
Before he joined Miami in 2023, FourFourTwo reported that the Argentina international turned down an offer worth €1.5b (£1.3b) from Al-Hilal in favour of a move to the US.
Reports at the time suggested that Messi would receive around €500m (£432m) per year across a three-year period, which would be more than what long-time rival and Al Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo currently earns, having signed a new contract in June.
As per The Sun, Ronaldo will receive around £488,000 per day, equal to £3.42m per week, £20,357 per hour, £339.28 per minute and £5.65 per second.
He has also been offered several perks to become a “dream ambassador”, which would take his earnings to above £492m over the next two years.
Having both Messi and Ronaldo playing in the same league will, no doubt, bring yet more attention to Saudi Arabian football ahead of the 2034 World Cup which is set to take place in the Gulf State.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Saudi Pro League, MLS, Cristiano Ronaldo
Luke Davies