When Paris Saint-Germain decided not to extend Lionel Messi, the Argentine hit free agency with several suitors. One of the teams vying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was Al-Hilal.
After Al-Nassr landed Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Hilal wanted to respond with the Argentine. However, the veteran didn’t want to head to Saudi Arabia, as he ultimately chose Inter Miami.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Le10Sport) reports that Messi would have refused a €400 million contract with Al Hilal, who for a moment dreamed of being able to secure his services.
According to information from the Italian media outlet, the Saudi club wanted to rekindle the rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, who had decided in January 2023 to join Al Nassr. Once the Argentine decided to head to the United States, Al-Hilal went after Neymar Jr.
The Brazilian joined for a reported €90 million. Nonetheless, that signing hasn’t gone as planned since he suffered a severe knee injury during the international break with Brazil.
