Lionel Messi contract: Does the Inter Miami captain earn more than Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr?
Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in July after rejecting the chance to reignite his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. The Argentine was reportedly offered a world record €500 million per season by Al Hilal, but he opted to join the MLS side instead.
As per The Guardian, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner currently earns $60 million per season from the MLS side. However, this does not include any of the revenue-sharing deals with Apple, Adidas, Fanatics, and other companies that deal with Inter Miami.
The wages earned from the club directly are significantly lower than what Ronaldo gets in the Middle East. The Portuguese star makes €200 million per season and is the highest-paid footballer in the world.
Lionel Messi has made a stunning start to his Inter Miami career, while Cristiano Ronaldo has hit a rough spot at Al Nassr and has managed just one goal in his last five matches for the Saudi Arabian side.
Why Lionel Messi rejected the chance to reignite Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry
Lionel Messi claimed in his interview with SPORT and Mundo Deportivo that he wanted to leave Europe as soon as he knew a move back to Barcelona was not on the cards.
He took the decision to move to Miami after consultation with his family and friends.
Speaking to the Spanish publications, he said:
"I made the decision that I am going to go to Miami. I still haven't closed it 100%. I'm missing some things, but we decided to continue on the path."
Messi continued:
"If the Barcelona thing didn't work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more in my family. I really wanted, I was very excited to be able to return (to Barcelona), but after having experienced what I experienced and the exit I had, I did not want to be in the same situation again – waiting to see what was going to happen. I heard that they had to sell players or lower players' salaries and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor take charge of obtaining something that had to do with all that."
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia has paved the way for several stars to move to the country.