Messi joining Ronaldo was just the start of plans to get Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi could follow in the great rival’s footsteps by heading to the Saudi Premier League (SPL) this summer, just like Cristiano Ronaldo did when he moved to Al Nassr in December. Yet, despite the fact that football’s two biggest stars are enhancing Saudi Arabia’s football profile, whether on purpose or not, insiders have told ESPN that the type of players heading to the Middle Eastern country this summer will alter.
A combined tricontinental event with and Greece has been mooted, and Saudi Arabia also intends to submit a proposal to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030. Saudi Arabia is hosting the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in December. And in its domestic league, Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr after the mutual termination of his Manchester United contract helped the SPL go from being a largely unheard-of league to one that, within a month of his arrival, struck broadcasting deals in Portugal, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The performances of Ronaldo for Al Nassr and the possibility of Messi joining Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia’s greatest and most successful team, when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends at the conclusion of this season have received much attention. Ronaldo’s first game in Saudi Arabia, a friendly between Al Nassr and PSG on Jan. 19, attracted much attention. It was also a preview of what it might be like if Messi and Ronaldo reunited in the same league for the first time since Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus and Messi stayed with Barcelona in La Liga 2018.
Messi joining Ronaldo was just the start of plans to get Saudi Arabia
But, sources in Saudi Arabia have informed ESPN of intentions for up to 50 players to transfer to the SPL this summer from Portugal’s top division and the top five leagues in Europe (England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain). The idea, which has the support of Saudi Arabia’s minister of sport, calls for SPL clubs to target free agents in those leagues.
The most well-known player whose contract is up this summer is Lionel Messi, but others include Roberto Firmino of Liverpool, Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City, Adama Traore of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton. Karim Benzema has yet to agree to a new agreement at the Bernabeu, but he is expected to extend his Real Madrid contract. According to sources in Saudi Arabia, the financial struggles that clubs in Europe are currently facing have given SPL teams a chance to bring in top-tier players.
Up to eight non-Saudi players may be on the books of an SPL team, with seven of those players being available for selection to the matchday squad. The majority of clubs in the 16-team league currently have their full quota of international players, and no club has fewer than six of them. Yet, experts claim that this summer will see a sharp improvement in quality as teams use the Ronaldo PR wave to revamp their squads.
One agency informed ESPN that he had discussions with Saudi Arabian clubs regarding foreign players from Spain, Morocco, and Colombia. The clubs were also interested in talking about his high-profile coaching clientele. But, a source in Saudi Arabia told ESPN that despite the enormous pay paid to Ronaldo and the rumored financial details of a deal for Messi, both players are seen as exceptions, and other prospective recruits should not expect outrageous contracts.
