Saudi Arabia rejected a proposal from Lionel Messi to play in its top football league for a four-month period ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The kingdom’s sports ministry asserted that its league would not serve as a “training camp” for the global superstar.
Abdallah Hammad, Director-General of the Mahd Academy for Talent Development, confirmed the decision. He revealed that Messi’s representatives contacted him during the Club World Cup last summer.
The Argentine star’s agents sought a four-month deal to allow him to maintain match fitness during the Major League Soccer (MLS) off-season. Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, plays for Inter Miami in the United States.
“I presented the proposal to the Minister of Sport, but he refused Messi coming just for four months and the case was closed,” Hammad said during an interview on a podcast for the Saudi newspaper ‘Thmanya’.
Hammad quoted the minister as stating directly that “the Saudi League would not be a training camp.”
Messi recently extended his contract with Inter Miami, committing to the club until December 2028.
This rejection means a potential on-pitch reunion with long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league will not happen at this time. Ronaldo currently plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Speculation about Messi potentially joining a Saudi club has circulated for an extended period, indicating that future discussions between the player and the kingdom could still arise.