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When Lionel Messi walked away from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, the football world braced itself for one of the most consequential transfer decisions in history. Europe was an option, a romantic return to Barcelona lingered in the background, and Major League Soccer was quietly positioning itself as a destination.
But towering above all possibilities was Saudi Arabia, armed with unprecedented financial muscle and an ambition to reshape the global football landscape. Now, fresh revelations from Al-Ittihad president Anmar Al Haili have lifted the curtain on just how close Messi came to joining the Saudi Pro League.
According to Al Haili, the Jeddah-based club offered Messi a staggering €1.4 billion contract, a figure that would have obliterated every existing benchmark in football’s financial history. Yet, in one of the most striking decisions modern sport has witnessed, Messi declined.
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Speaking in interviews widely reported by international media, Al Haili confirmed that money was never the obstacle. He said:
I contacted him when his contract with PSG ended. I offered him €1.4 billion. He rejected it for the sake of his family
The statement reinforced what many had speculated at the time, that Messi’s decision was driven less by economics and more by lifestyle, personal values and long-term legacy. Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of Messi was part of a broader strategy that has already lured stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté and Neymar to the region.
For Al-Ittihad, landing Messi would have been the crown jewel, not just a sporting coup, but a global marketing and cultural statement. Al Haili later revealed that the club was prepared to go even further, offering Messi what he described as a “blank cheque,” including the possibility of setting his own salary and contract length, potentially even a lifetime deal.
Despite the enormity of the offer, Messi chose Inter Miami, a decision that surprised many given the scale of Saudi Arabia’s proposal. The move to Major League Soccer signalled a different set of priorities. In the United States, Messi found stability for his family, and a chance to shape football’s growth in a developing market.
Since joining Miami, he has transformed the club’s fortunes, delivered silverware, boosted league visibility and extended his contract through 2028. The contrast between the two options could not have been sharper. On one side stood the richest offer football has ever seen, backed by a rapidly expanding league hungry for global relevance.
On the other was a lifestyle-driven project, focused on influence rather than income. Messi’s choice challenged long-held assumptions about elite players inevitably gravitating toward the highest bidder, particularly late in their careers.
For the Saudi Pro League, Messi’s rejection did not represent failure, but rather a boundary test. It proved that while money can open doors, it cannot guarantee every signature. Yet Al-Ittihad’s continued openness to pursuing Messi suggests Saudi ambitions remain undimmed.
The league has already altered football’s economic geography, and its pursuit of the game’s biggest icon underscored its intent to compete at the very top.Ultimately, Messi’s decision may become as significant off the pitch as many of his achievements on it.
Turning down €1.4 billion was not merely a transfer call but it was a personal statement. In choosing family, lifestyle and legacy over the largest contract in sporting history, Messi reaffirmed a rare truth in modern football: that even in an era of limitless money, some choices remain priceless
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