Paris (AFP) - Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia next season under a blockbuster deal, a source told AFP on Tuesday, potentially joining his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the kingdom lavishes its oil wealth on sport.
Messi will sign a “huge” deal with an as-yet-unnamed club, said the source, who is close to the negotiations that are taking place just months after the 35-year-old lifted the World Cup in Qatar.
“Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge. We are just finalizing some small details,” added the source, who is not authorized to speak to media.
There was no confirmation from Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain, which noted simply that he was under contract until June 30 when contacted by AFP.
A separate PSG source said: “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”
Just five years after allowing its first non-Muslim tourists visit and letting women drive, Saudi Arabia is attempting to open up its conservative society and diversify its oil-reliant economy.
The world’s biggest oil exporter has thrown hundreds of millions at sports deals including Ronaldo’s signing, F1 in Jeddah and the divisive LIV Golf tour, drawing frequent claims it is “sportswashing” its human rights record.
Messi was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorised mid-season trip to Saudi, where he is a tourism ambassador.
His expected arrival follows in the footsteps of his long-time sparring partner Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in a massive deal in January.
Ronaldo’s agreement to June 2025 is said to total more than 400 million euros ($439 million), making him the world’s highest paid athlete according to Forbes.
Both deals -- along with others including LIV Golf and the 2021 purchase of Newcastle United football club -- are being bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds, the source said.
Despite several reports linking Messi with Al Hilal, one of the top Saudi teams, club sources told AFP they had not been in direct contact with the Argentine’s team.