Honor above all! Saudi Arabia rejected the offer to sign Lionel Messi

Leo wanted to seize the moment.
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Kenley Ward Dailysports's expert
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF reacts during the 2025 MLS Cup Playoff matc Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images

The situation drew the attention of a government minister.

Details: A senior sports official from Saudi Arabia revealed that their Football Federation turned down a proposal to sign Lionel Messi for four months during the MLS offseason.

According to the official, the refusal to bring in the Argentine star was made at the highest state level:

"During the last Club World Cup, Messi's team reached out to me and offered for him to play in Saudi Arabia, since MLS would be on hold for almost four months. The player wanted to stay in shape and prepare for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. But the government minister made it clear that the Saudi league would not serve as a platform for preparation for other tournaments," the official stated.

Recently, Leo signed a new contract with Inter Miami until 2028, sending a clear message to the football world that he is far from finished. Messi has previously expressed his strong desire to play for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, a tournament for which Lionel Scaloni's squad has already qualified.

Reminder: Official: Messi to visit Angola for friendly match

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