We rejected Messi offer from Inter Miami — Saudi chief

In a bid to keep fit ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a senior sports official has claimed that Saudi Arabia rejected the chance to sign Lionel Messi on a short-term stint in the Saudi Pro League ahead of the football’s showpiece.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) season is currently at its playoff stage and will run until early December, and is expected to return again next February for the 2026 season.

The season will then go on a break next summer for the showpiece event before resuming in August.

“During the last Club World Cup, Messi’s team [Inter Miami] contacted me and offered for him to play in Saudi Arabia because the MLS will stop for nearly four months.

“The player wanted to remain in shape and prepare himself for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. This happened with David Beckham when he was with Los Angeles Galaxy and went to AC Milan,” Abdullah Hammad, CEO of the Mahd Sports Academy, said during a podcast.

Beckham went on loan to AC Milan in early 2009 and again in 2010 in a bid to maintain match fitness during the MLS off-season, and a similar may happen with Messi when Inter Miami’s playoff campaign comes to an end.

Meanwhile, Messi is yet to commit to the 2026 World Cup with Argentina as Lionel Scaloni’s side looks to defend their 2022 crown in North America next year.

“It’s special to be part of the World Cup, I would like to be there, to feel well and to be an important part of helping my team if I’m there.

“I’m going to assess that on a day-to-day basis when I start pre-season next year with Inter Miami and see if I can really be at 100 per cent, if I can be useful to the group, to the team. Then I’ll make a decision.

“Of course, I’m really eager because it’s a World Cup. We just won the last one, and to be able to defend it on the field again would be incredible, because it’s always a dream to play for the national team, especially in the most important tournament,” Messi added.

However, Messi won’t be moving to Saudi Arabia at the turn of the year, according to Hammad, after explaining that he relayed the offer to the minister of sports, who rejected it. “The minister made it clear that the Saudi league would not serve as a preparation platform for other tournaments,” Hammad said.

And when asked whether Saudi Arabia had turned down the chance to sign Messi, even temporarily, he replied: “That’s true.”

Messi’s MLS campaign may go all the way through to December as Inter Miami chase the MLS Cup. The Herons are one up in their ‘Best of Three’ series against Nashville following a 3-1 victory in the first match last week.

The 38-year-old netted twice in that win and will hope to add to his 31 league goals this season when they face the second match-up at Geodis Park over the weekend. Inter Miami finished third in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, just one point off the top spot.

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