Al-Haili confirmed his complete readiness to offer an exceptional and unprecedented contract in the history of football to convince Messi to come to Saudi Arabia, stressing that money has never been an obstacle to achieving that historic deal.
Al-Haili explained that he was prepared to offer Messi an exceptional contract that would give him complete freedom to determine the value of his salary and the duration of the contract, even if it extended for life, stressing that the Federation's desire to sign the best player in the history of football went beyond financial considerations.
The Spanish newspaper "Marca" quoted Al-Haili as saying: "If Messi agreed to sign with Al-Ittihad, I would have offered him a contract in which he could choose the amount he wanted and the duration that suited him, even if it was for life."
Al-Haili revealed that Al-Ittihad made a huge offer worth 1.4 billion euros after Messi left Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, but the Argentine player preferred to reject the offer for family reasons despite being fully convinced of its financial value.
He added: "Messi rejected the offer out of consideration for his family, and I respect this decision very much. The doors of Al-Ittihad Club will always remain open to him, and he can join us at any time."
Al-Ittihad's hopes of signing Messi appear to be on hold for the time being, especially after the 38-year-old renewed his contract with Inter Miami in October 2025 to stay with the American club until December 2028.
