NO. We are not a training camp.
This is the essence of the words that have set the football world abuzz. The words of Saudi Arabia’s minister of sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turk Al Saud, who rejected a chance to bring Lionel Messi to the Saudi Pro League.
It was Abdullah Hammad, CEO of Mahd Sports Academy, who recently revealed the details during a podcast. He claimed Messi's representatives proposed a four-month loan to the Saudi league during the Major League Soccer off-season. This is said to have occurred during the Club World Cup earlier this year. Messi’s team wanted to keep him fit going into the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June.
Off-season loans are used by international players signed to American clubs because the US off-season (December to March) coincides with intense match schedules in most other leagues. That means MLS players are at a disadvantage in terms of match-fitness going into any games in the summer. David Beckham famously went on loans to AC Milan in 2009 and 2010. Thierry Henry returned to Arsenal in 2012. And, Son Heung-min, who joined Los Angeles FC this year, is said to have included a clause in his contract to facilitate similar moves.
So, it was an astute idea from Messi’s team. No long-term commitment, just a jaunt to the Middle East. But, one that would generate global interest given that he would once again be pitted against old rival Cristiano Ronaldo. He could also, of course, charge a hefty salary from whichever Saudi club signed him. It was inconceivable that decision makers in Saudi Arabia would say no. After all, it was the dream Saudi football had chased since Ronaldo's arrival, for $200 million a year, at the end of 2022—the two icons clashing in the dunes. It is the dream that prompted Saudi giants Al-Hilal to offer a salary of $500 million per year to the Argentine. But, Messi chose Inter Miami for a $20-$25 million salary, a $50-60 million bonus, revenue shares from MLS partners like Adidas and Apple, and equity in the club.
Naturally, news of Saudi’s snub of Messi stunned football fans. It is easy to perceive this as ego or “arrogance”, as some have already done on X. A way of getting back at Messi for choosing the MLS over the Pro League. However, that does not seem to be the case. The issue is understood to have been the nature of the proposed move—a temporary tango. Hence, the minister’s words that the Saudi league would not serve as a platform to prepare for other tournaments.
What the league wants is commitment to the cause of improving the country’s football ecosystem, for which the player would be richly rewarded. Therefore, it is also not accurate to use the Messi snub to argue that the Pro League being a gilded retirement home for fading legends is a thing of the past. Because if the said legend is open to staying in the country for longer, he could still get a massive offer depending on his profile. So, it is safe to say it is highly unlikely that Messi would have been rejected if his team’s offer was to stay for two or three years.
In any case, the Riyadh faithful’s chant of a self-assured Saudi league is not entirely misplaced. Saudi Arabia has invested over $1.5 billion in player transfers since 2022—the biggest names so far, excluding Ronaldo, have been Karim Benzema and Neymar, though the Brazilian’s transfer was an unmitigated disaster. Ronaldo’s arrival is estimated to have led to a 20 per cent increase in home crowds for his club, Al-Nassr, and 15 per cent at away stadiums, apart from a significant rise in sales of Al-Nassr merchandise. The league’s revenue is reported to have increased 650 per cent since his signing. Moreover, the number of academies and clubs is claimed to have increased by 140 per cent in three years and youth enrolment has swelled in the last two years.
To top it all off, Saudi Arabia, fresh off securing the 2034 World Cup hosting rights, has complete clarity about the vision behind its football project. The aim is legacy, glory and, in the long term, returns on investment, particularly in terms of image and indirect gains to the GDP. Therefore, the Pro League could not yield, not even to the little magician.
