When Lionel Messi was leaving Paris Saint-Germain, one of the options vying for the 36-year-old was Al-Hilal. However, the Saudi Arabian side eventually lost out along with FC Barcelona as the Argentine went to Inter Miami.
However, with the South Florida club out of the MLS playoffs, rumors are circulating about whether the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner will go out on loan. Inter Miami doesn’t play until February, so a six-month loan isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Where will the former PSG star go? Well, SPORT reports (h/t Foot Mercato) that Saudi Arabia is attempting to bring Messi over for a few months to reignite the rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.
“The internal evaluations are still ongoing; news is expected soon,” Rudy Galetti, a journalist for Sky Sports, said about the Saudi Pro League looking to seduce Messi (h/t MARCA).
🚨🇸🇦 According to SPORT, Saudi Arabia want to reunite Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi in the Saudi League. They will offer him a 6-months loan.
As a reminder – Messi's next game in the MLS is in 4 months (February) since Inter Miami was eliminated from the playoffs contention. pic.twitter.com/reEhLgNDHc
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) October 9, 2023
The reporting doesn’t reveal which team the club would be in the mix for Messi. Al-Hilal did pivot to Plan B after failing to land Messi this past summer. They paid PSG €90 million for Neymar Jr., so will the club be circling back for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner?