Did you think that the confrontation between Messi and Ronaldo would end with the transfer of Krish to Al-Nasr? No matter how: rumors are actively dispersed about the possible transition of Leo to Al-Hilal – this is the main rival of the new Ronaldo team.
Collected all the main rumors.
Messi is offered even more than Ronaldo
The most recent insider appeared on January 12 at Mundo Deportivo: Al-Hilal are ready to offer Messi $ 300 million a year. This is even more than Ronaldo will receive – the Portuguese salary will be $ 200 million annually.
Saudi Arabia believes that the signing of two players of this magnitude will have a positive impact on the national championship and significantly increase interest in the league, and also increase the chances of hosting the 2030 World Cup.
“It would be like signing Cristiano Ronaldo. This story is not about the club and the player, this direction is not only for the club.
All Saudi clubs are poised to make a giant leap after the sports minister’s recent remarks,” Al Hilal CEO Fayed Al Mofari said.
Earlier, Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal hinted that Ronaldo moved to Al Nasr with the support of the state.
The first rumors about Messi in Saudi Arabia appeared at the World Cup
During the 2022 World Cup, CBS Sports Golazo’s Ben Jacobs posted on social media that the Riyadh club wanted to sign Leo. In favor of a possible transfer, Jacobs recalled that in August 2022, Messi became the Saudi Arabian Tourism Ambassador, which could play into the hands of a potential move.
But, according to the journalist, if something had to be decided, then only after the end of the tournament.
Jacobs also named other options for continuing a career for the Argentine: Inter Miami wants him, and this is not counting the desire of PSG to extend the contract. The current agreement includes the option of an extension for the next season, but the Parisian club will offer a new contract under the 1 + 1 scheme.
After Leo’s victory at the 2022 World Cup, the topic with Saudi Arabia subsided, but in early January it returned to the front pages again.
There are already Al-Hilal shirts with the name Messi
On January 2, t-shirts with the name Messi and the number 10 appeared in the official store of Al-Hilal . Reactions were divided: some considered it trolling Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved to Al-Nasr, others – a hint of a possible transfer bomb.
A few days later, social networks (allegedly on behalf of CNN) spread information that Messi would not renew his contract with PSG and wanted to join Al-Hilal.
To check the information, the Arab fact-checking platform Misbar turned on: its employees looked through the archive on the agency’s website and did not find relevant news about the transfer of the PSG striker.
But there was news about returning to the Parisian club after the victorious 2022 World Cup. Since that moment, CNN has not published any new sharp newsbreaks.
Rumors are heating up ahead of what could be the final battle between Messi and Ronaldo
Public figures also spoke. For example, Qatari race car driver and four-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah spoke about Leo’s future on January 11:
“It will be hard for Messi to return to Barcelona after PSG. The Parisian club is very rich, they have a clear plan. I think in a few months someone from Saudi Arabia will sign Messi. And I can tell you who: I’m sure he will go to Al-Hilal. Messi will come to Saudi Arabia, like Ronaldo, because there is a lot of money here, the players come here for big contracts.”
Rumors are flying ahead of what could be the final battle between Messi and Ronaldo on January 19th. PSG will come to a friendly match in Riyadh (Al-Hilal is from that city), and the clubs can negotiate a potential move for Leo.
Ironically, at first Al-Hilal wanted to sign Cristiano: the club made him an offer to transfer last summer, but then it did not work out because of the CAS decision to ban Al-Hilal from registering players.
The club from Riyadh returned to the idea with the signing of Ronaldo at the end of November: they studied the possibility of a transfer, and in early December began negotiations with the player.
Details were revealed by Fabrizio Romano: “People close to Al-Hilal contacted Ronaldo. The club is ready to make a crazy offer.
But there is one interesting point. I was told that Al-Hilal would not be able to sign players in January, only in the summer. So it’s difficult at the moment.”
As a result, Cristiano signed a contract with Al-Nasr, another club from Riyadh. Fans of the team have already come up with a chant in honor of the Portuguese.
Now, apparently, Al-Hilal will try to get the main rival Ronaldo. In Saudi Arabia, the matches of Al-Nasr and Al-Hilal are something like the national El Clasico – if Messi and Ronaldo play there too, then their confrontation will become even more epic.