EIGHT times Ballon d'Or winner, Lionel Messi has revealed that he considered moving to the Saudi Arabia pro league after leaving Paris Saint-German.
The 36-year-old World Cup winner could have moved to a club in Saudi Arabia, which would have ignited one of the biggest football rivalries between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was already in the Saudi Arabia league at that time.
Messi explained in an interview with TIME that he had the option of returning to Barcelona or signing for a Saudi Arabian side.
“My first option was to return to Barcelona, but it was not possible. I tried to return, and it did not happen.
“It is also true that later, I was thinking a lot about going to the Saudi league, where I know the country, and they have created a very powerful competition that can become an important league in the near future.
“It was Saudi Arabia or MLS, and both options seemed very interesting to me,” Messi told Time.
The player, who was named TIME Athlete of the Year, eventually decided to sign for the Major League Soccer side as a free agent in the summer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.