First Ronaldo and then Messi?
Saudi Arabia plans double boom of the superstars
1/12/2023, 9:08 p.m
Saudi Arabian football is reaching out for football’s next world star. According to a report, after Cristiano Ronaldo’s surprise move to the desert state, the next Saudi club is planning the big transfer shot. Target: Lionel Messi.
Saudi Arabia is a country of superlatives. Money, oil deposits, recently also sports washing. So now Cristiano Ronaldo is bringing glamor and his giant reputation to the country’s second-rate professional league. The Portuguese without a club, who was presented just last week with a bizarre show of disturbing personality cult, hero worship and plenty of egocentricity, will now play for the Riyadh club Al-Nassr. Now the big league competitor from the capital, Al-Hilal, apparently does not want to sit idly by.
As the Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo” reports, Al-Hilal wants to make an offer to the newly crowned soccer world champion Lionel Messi, currently with the luxury club Paris St. Germain, financed by Saudi rival Qatar, that would top Ronaldo’s record contract again . The club is said to offer the Argentine 300 million dollars (around 280 million euros) – per year. Ronaldo, on the other hand, earns “only” 200 million euros a year. Already a record. But without superlatives it is difficult in Saudi Arabia and with the two greatest footballers of the past two decades.
Messi shines even after World Cup triumph
But can Messi really be lured into the desert like Ronaldo? The fact is: his contract with Paris St. Germain expires in the summer. An extension has been in the air for days, and offers from the American MLS, especially from Inter Miami, are said to have flown into the Messi camp. According to media reports, his parent club FC Barcelona is also interested. And the attacker, who was very convincing as a leader at the World Cup, would probably still find a place at a top address in Europe, unlike Ronaldo.
Especially since he does not fall into a post-World Cup hangover after the longing triumph in Qatar: In the first game for PSG after Lusail’s moment of glory, Messi started right where he left off at the desert World Cup – and targeted the next big one title on. He led his team to a 2-0 (1-0) against SCO Angers, and the 35-year-old himself initiated his comeback goal. A quick pass combination between three Parisian players completely overturned the opposing defense, Messi casually hit the bottom left corner to score the final score. “He’s in great shape and very relaxed. With Leo, the team has a different face,” said Paris coach Christophe Galtier. “Sacre Messi” – “holy Messi” was the headline in the sports newspaper “L’Equipe” and “Le Parisien” wrote of a “first-class return.” But the league is not his claim, Messi wants the handle pot again.
So Saudi Arabia sounds crazy at first. Alone: That’s what Ronaldo did at first. Messi already has good contacts in the kingdom, has signed a deal with the tourism authority and is promoting “Visit Saudi”, for which he is said to collect millions. The wires are there. So it’s a good thing that PSG and Messi will be in Riyadh next week and playing against a selection that will also include Ronaldo.
2018 last together in a league
The next giant transfer would make sense, especially for Saudi Arabia. Because the country wants to host the World Cup in 2030 with Egypt and Greece. Even the hoped-for advertising effect by Ronaldo should be significant, but even more blatant with the “double boom” consisting of both legends. Incidentally, in his homeland, Ronaldo has already been insulted by the media as a “traitor”. Portugal also wants to compete with Spain and Ukraine to host the 2030 World Cup. As with Ronaldo, the money for Messi would probably come mainly from state coffers. The sovereign wealth fund PIF is said to have actively supported the CR7 coup.
At his current employer, Messi is paid by another desert country, which has been heavily criticized for its handling of human rights. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has been sponsoring PSG for years. Qatari PSG President Nasser al-Khelaifi is hoping for an extension. A jump of his superstar would be a heavy blow for him, especially since Saudi Arabia saw Qatar as a competitor for years and even officially blocked it. At the 2022 World Cup in the Emirate, the tensions were no longer noticeable.
For Messi it would be the first league reunion with Ronaldo since 2018, when Messi played for FC Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid. So it’s fitting that the duel between current leaders Al-Nassr and third-placed Al-Hilal (three points behind and one game ahead) is seen as the Saudi Clásico. Messi and Ronaldo in the Saudi Clásico – so crazy that it seems realistic again – in the land of superlatives.