Although Lionel Messi has already made it clear that his intention is to end his professional soccer career at Inter Miami, his figure continues to attract multimillion-dollar interest around the world. During the MLS offseason, which will resume at the end of February, an old offeror reappeared from Saudi Arabia with an offer as striking as it is unlikely.
Anmar Al-Haili, owner of Al Ittihad, once again publicly expressed his desire to have the captain of the Argentina national team and went further than in his previous attempts. "If Leo agrees to sign with Al Ittihad, I would offer him a contract in which he could earn whatever amount he wants, for as long as he wants, even for life," he stated.
In Saudi soccer, which knows no financial limits and which in recent years has added stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, and Riyad Mahrez, money doesn't seem to be an obstacle.
Al-Haili insisted that his obsession with Messi is not only financial: "Having Messi here in Saudi Arabia wearing our jersey, at an economic level means nothing to me. I want Messi because I would have the best player in the history of soccer," he said.
The interest is not new. In mid-2023, when the Rosario-born star became a free agent after finishing his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, the Saudi magnate had already tried to lure him with an unprecedented offer. "I offered him 1.4 billion euros per year, but he rejected it because his family preferred the United States. I respect that, and Al Ittihad will always open its doors to him," he recalled.
However, beyond the magnitude of the figures, Messi's future seems defined. The star extended his contract with Inter Miami until December 2028 and began to develop his personal and commercial projects in United States, a scenario that today appears immovable despite the temptations that arrive from the Saudi desert.
