Lionel Messi looked a frustrated figure after his Inter Miami side threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Palmeiras this week in the Club World Cup. This meant that the Herons finished second in their group and will now have to play Paris Saint-Germain instead of Botafogo.
It will be intriguing to see Messi play against his former club, PSG. However, Miami is almost certain to be knocked out. PSG have shown that they can be beaten, as Botafogo claimed a victory against them in the group stage. It is highly unlikely, though, that Luis Enrique will underestimate an opponent again in the competition.
Messi, looking frustrated, has been a common theme of this season. He has complained about referees, his Miami team has had a mixed MLS campaign, and they were knocked out of the Champions Cup by the Vancouver Whitecaps. All these disappointments could lead to Messi departing MLS.
Al-Midan Sports has reported that Al-Hilal is trying to sign Messi. The Saudi Pro League side's president, Fahd bin Nafel, is apparently in the United States to meet Messi's father, Jorge, who is also the forward's agent. Messi is also in talks with Miami about renewing his deal.
How big of a loss would Lionel Messi be to MLS?
Messi has become the main attraction to MLS, so much so that the Houston Dynamo put out an apology that he would not be playing against them. This led to widespread mockery of the club from fans on social media.
Part of Messi's deal has included shares of Apple, who operate MLS Season Pass. There was a major boost in subscribers for the platform when Messi signed for Miami. However, these numbers would diminish if he were to move to Saudi Arabia.
Messi has also brought with him his former teammates, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez, and Javier Mascherano, as manager to Miami. It is unlikely to see them sticking around if Messi departs. It could also affect the calibre of players that the Herons might be able to attract to the club in the future.
Lionel Messi would excite the Saudi Pro League
Messi was linked with the Saudi Pro League before he joined Inter Miami. He is already an ambassador for the Saudi Tourism Board. The player was even once suspended by PSG for going on an unauthorized commercial trip to the country.
Al-Hilal will be looking to add a star name to their roster after missing out on Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian was heavily linked with the club. However, Salah ended up renewing his Liverpool contract until 2027.
Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrović, João Cancelo, and Sergej Milinković-Savić are the star names currently on Al-Hilal's roster. They also now have Simone Inzaghi as their manager. Inzaghi opted for a quick return to work to get over his Inter Milan side's heavy defeat in the Champions League final to PSG.
Al-Hilal are currently at the Club World Cup, where they earned a credible 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in their opening game. They then drew 0-0 with Red Bull Salzburg and face Pachuca in their final group game. They still have a good chance of making it to the last 16. However, they would then face either Juventus or Manchester City.
They finished second to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League last season. However, Al-Hilal did finish above Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. After much speculation, Ronaldo has extended his contract with Al-Nassr until 2027. Therefore, if we are to see Messi move to Al-Hilal, it would renew his rivalry with his old nemesis, Ronaldo.