Lionel Messi disclosed his pre-Inter Miami considerations, which included the intriguing possibility of a move to the Saudi Pro League.
After leaving Paris Saint-Germain, he signed with David Beckham’s Inter Miami during the summer, contributing to their inaugural silverware success.
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Despite numerous options, the eight-time Ballon d’Or awardee ultimately chose the MLS.
In a TIME interview, Messi mentioned contemplating a return to Barcelona and pondering a partnership with longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.
However, he remarked that the division currently lacks significance but possesses the potential to become influential in the near future.
“The truth is that fortunately, I had several options on the table that were interesting, and I had to analyse them and think, even weigh them up with my family, before making the final decision to come to Miami,” Messi said.
“My first option was to return to Barcelona, but it was not possible,” Messi says. “I tried to return, and it did not happen.” Saudi Arabia, indeed, was very much in the mix.
“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 in the near future,” Messi says.
“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.”
In a recent interview, Messi referred to the MLS as a “minor league.”
This statement echoes Ronaldo’s remarks from July, where he asserted that the Saudi Pro League is “better” than the MLS and predicted it would soon surpass the Turkish Super Lig and Eredivisie.
