Hammad said: “There was an initial plan for Messi to be part of the Mahd Academy project in the age groups in the Kingdom, and last summer the player expressed his serious desire to move to the Roshan League. He contacted me himself to discuss the possibility of playing temporarily in Saudi Arabia, similar to what David Beckham did previously when he moved to AC Milan during the American League break.”
"The Saudi League won't just be a stepping stone for Messi," explains why Saudi Arabia rejected Messi's offer — 🙅🇦🇷
In the latest episode of #SocratesPodcast, Abdullah Hammad, CEO of Mahd Academy, details Messi's conditions that prevented him from joining the Saudi League, despite the lucrative contract. pic.twitter.com/pOIlkYSt7g
However, the Argentine request was rejected by the Saudi Ministry of Sports, as Hamad explained that the minister considered that "the Saudi league is not a station to prepare players for the World Cup," stressing that the Kingdom seeks to build a real and sustainable competition, not to be a temporary destination for any star, no matter who he is.
Hammad added that Messi had set a number of special conditions for joining, including the possibility of being with some of his former teammates at Barcelona, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s approach to his move to Al-Nasr was completely different, as he considered the experience a “new challenge” in a new country.
In a related context, Inter Miami officially announced the extension of Lionel Messi’s contract until 2028, allowing the Argentine legend to continue his career in the American leagues, which he began in 2023.
Messi’s previous contract was set to expire in December 2025, but the Argentina captain and 2022 World Cup champion preferred to stay in Miami, which he described as his “new home,” after finding there an ideal mix of sporting challenge and family stability.
According to Foot Mercato, Messi will receive an annual salary of around 11 million euros under his new contract, with bonuses and incentives that could raise the total income to around 17 million euros per year.
The contract also includes lucrative commercial clauses related to Apple and Adidas, in addition to receiving a percentage of the revenue from subscriptions to the American League broadcasting service.
Reports indicate that Messi also owns a minority stake in the club, making his continued presence until 2028 as much an investment move as a sporting one.
