Lionel Messi shocked the world when he decided to join Inter Miami. While there were offers from several European clubs, the most enticing offer came from Saudi club Al Hilal, who were willing to offer Messi a staggering $1 billion per year. While the Argentine initially turned down the offer, it seems he hasn’t fully given up on Saudi and still is interested in the progress in soccer that they are making.

Saudi Arabia, with its vast financial resources, has managed to attract several top stars to its clubs, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. Al Hilal, in particular, was willing to offer Messi the biggest contract in soccer history. However, the Argentine forward opted to join Inter Miami, a decision that wasn’t easy for him.

Lionel Messi talks about the unforgettable Saudi offer

The 36-year-old recently became the TIME Magazine Athlete of the Year. Following the big win, Lionel Messi sat down in an interview with the popular American news magazine. Here, he discussed the thought process behind his move to Miami. He admitted that he did consider joining the Saudi league.

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Lionel Messi stated, “It is also true that later I was thinking a lot about going to the Saudi league, where I know the country and they have created a very powerful competition that can become an important league soon.” He also went on to express his admiration for Saudi Arabia.

The 8x Ballon d’Or winner stated, “As the country’s tourism ambassador, it was a destination that attracted me, especially because I’ve enjoyed everything I have visited, because of how football is growing in the country and because of the effort they are putting into creating a top competition”. Lionel Messi further revealed, “It was Saudi Arabia or MLS, and both options seemed very interesting to me”.

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These statements from the Argentine clearly indicate that La Pulga did have an interest in the Al Hilal offer. He also seems to share the belief that there is potential in Saudi’s soccer league. While he may not have chosen to join Al Hilal last summer, he has certainly left the possibility of a future move open with his statement. However, it may be difficult for Al Hilal to replicate such an enticing offer.

Al Hilal can’t make any further signings

While Al Hilal failed to sign Lionel Messi they did end up signing star players like Neymar, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Kalidou Koulibaly. Obviously, these signings didn’t come cheap and recently Anmar Al-Haili, president of rival team Al Ittihad, revealed that both Al Hilal and Al Nassr won’t be able to make further signings.

According to Al-Haili both the Saudi giants won’t be able to sign players for two years because of budget restrictions. If true, this could prove to be a big hurdle that Al Hilal will have to cross to once again hope for signing Lionel Messi. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.

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