Lionel Messi was signed by Inter Miami as an excellent market opportunity in 2023, satisfying both the needs of the club and especially of the MLS, which has seen a huge increase in its global audience following the arrival of the Argentine striker. However, the lack of competitiveness in the league and especially in the team led by Javier Mascheranno could lead to a change that would have a very strong impact on soccer in the United States.
After initially being scouted by Saudi Arabia for 2023, the latest reports indicate that Messi has accepted an invitation to begin talks with Al-Ahli, a Saudi Arabian team that is looking to rival Cristiano Ronaldo domestically and could end up dealing with a considerably positive situation in the race for domestic and foreign space.
Lionel Messi still has an active contract with Inter Miami until December and a contract renewal could take place at any time, but talks for a contract extension have not yet begun and the possibility of Messi leaving the MLS is real. Al-Ahli want to sign the striker when the Argentine is free on the market, but are already working behind the scenes to organize a big event for Messi's arrival in January, when the North American league season has already ended.
Saudi Arabia dreams of Lionel Messi to promote the World Cup
The arrival of Lionel Messi is a new attempt by Saudi Arabia to invest in local soccer with the 2034 World Cup in mind, with the mission of promoting the sport within the country and, above all, changing the image that the country has in relation to human rights issues.
It's worth noting that Al-Ahli is one of the four Saudi Arabian teams that belong to the sovereign wealth fund called PIF, managed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In other words, Inter Miami will hardly be able to compete with the financial offer that will be made by the Arabs, in addition to the perks that the Saudis promise to offer to make Messi's life more comfortable.