“Only Cristiano can answer about this” – Luis Figo offers honest opinion on reports about Lionel Messi joining Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Pro League
Former Real Madrid and Barcelona player Luis Figo has weighed in on the speculation about Lionel Messi joining Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
Messi has entered the final months of his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) contract and his club future remains in the balance. He has been linked with a host of clubs across the world, with a lot of reports pointing to a move to Saudi Arabia, where his arch-rival Ronaldo currently plies his trade.
Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal are one of the clubs linked with Messi. They hope to convince the Argentine to join them by also signing PSG midfielder Marco Verratti, according to French journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi.
It has also been reported that Al-Hilal want to offer Messi a contract worth over €400 million, which would see him become the highest-paid player in the world. He would eclipse the €200 million a year salary that Ronaldo receives at Al-Nassr.
When asked to comment about Messi's future on the sidelines of the Laureus Sports Awards, Figo said (via Mundo Deportivo):
“All I can say is speculation. They are personal decisions and I don't know the reasons but what I think is that he is a reference for children and for the world, like Cristiano Ronaldo. Only Cristiano can answer about this.”
In the same press conference, Figo also stated that Lionel Messi is not the clearcut best player this past year, and named Erling Haaland and Karim Benzema as two players who've been just as good, if not better. He added:
“Maybe Haaland because he is having a great season but Benzema can still win it. I do not choose Messi because he is not in the Champions League and for me that is decisive.”
Lionel Messi has not agreed on £400 million Al-Hilal: Reports
Contrary to widespread reports of Lionel Messi agreeing on a huge contract with Al-Hilal, Mundo Deportivo have reported that he is yet to make a decision on his future.
The Spanish publication also stated that the Argentine forward will think about his future only in the summer. He has several options, from the Saudi Pro League to Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer. He can also choose to remain in Europe by re-joining Barcelona, though the finances at the Catalan club need to improve for that to happen.
Lionel Messi has registered 20 goals and 19 assists in 37 appearances (3,277 minutes) across competitions for Paris Saint-Germain this season. All in all, he has made 71 appearances for the Parisians, scoring 31 times and picking up 34 assists.