“Messi is still the favorite to return to Barcelona. However, recent developments suggest that Messi’s next destination will be Saudi Arabia.”
Messi grew up in the FC Barcelona youth system and made his professional debut for the club in 2004.
Over the course of his 20-year career, Messi scored 672 goals and provided 305 assists in 778 games in a Barcelona shirt. Along the way, he won numerous trophies, including 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, and seven Copa del Rey titles. He also won the Ballon d’Or six times.
However, Messi moved to PSG just before the 2021-2022 season.
This came as a shock to many, as few expected Messi to leave Barcelona.
Due to La Liga rules, the club’s financial difficulties in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Messi from signing a new contract with Barcelona.
Messi therefore wanted to return to Barcelona, especially as he considered playing in Europe before the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America to be his “top priority”, and when his former coach, Xavi Hernandez, wanted to reunite with him, he planned to oblige.
However, Barcelona’s financial problems are holding him back.
Messi won’t be on the roster next season unless his salary issues are resolved. As of yet, he hasn’t received an official offer.
With a decision to be made in the next few days, Messi has apparently decided that he can’t wait for Barcelona’s offer and the Spanish Primera Liga’s approval, and has turned his attention to Al Hilal, who have offered him an astronomical €400 million ($570 million).