SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
REVELATION: Lionel Messi’s move to Saudi Arabia a ‘done deal’
Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia next season under a “huge” deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP on Tuesday.
“Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity and without naming the club.
“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge. We are just finalising some small details.”
Asked about the comments, Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted that the 35-year-old remains under contract until June 30.
But a separate PSG source said: “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”
The World Cup winner was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorised trip to Saudi, where he is a tourism ambassador.
He was seen with his family in what was reported to be a holiday trip in Riyadh.
The Argentinian has since apologised to the club and his teammates in a video posted on Instagram to his 458 million followers.
Messi’s expected arrival in the oil-rich kingdom follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in a massive deal in January.
Ronaldo’s agreement to June 2025 is said to total more than €400 million (S$582.4 million), making him the world’s highest paid athlete according to Forbes.
The news came a day after Messi was named the Laureus Sportsman of the Year during the awards ceremony in Paris, while sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce bagged the top women’s honour.
Messi also received an award on behalf of the Argentina men’s football team, who were named World Team of the Year after their triumph at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner had won the award once before, sharing it with British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
He also became the first athlete to scoop both the World Sportsman of the Year Award and the World Team of the Year Award in the same year.
Jamaican Fraser-Pryce enjoyed an outstanding 2022, which included winning the 100m gold at the World Athletics Championships.
Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, who won the 2022 US Open and rose to No. 1 in the ATP rankings, was named the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year.
Christian Eriksen, who recovered from the cardiac arrest he suffered at the European Championship in 2021 to return to Premier League football with Brentford and then Manchester United before competing at the World Cup with Denmark, received the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.
–AFP/Reuters
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo will travel to Spain for rehabilitation after sustaining a hamstring injury, Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Nassr’s coach Jorge Jesus said on Friday.
The 41-year-old, who has netted 21 goals in 22 games this season in the SPL, was injured in a 3-1 win over Al-Fayha on Saturday.
“After examining Ronaldo’s injury, it became clear that he needs a period of rest and treatment, so we decided to send him to Spain,” Jesus told a press conference.
“The medical staff diagnosed Ronaldo’s condition and confirmed that he is unable to take part in tomorrow’s match or the following one (against Al‑Khaleej)”.
It remains unclear whether the five-times Ballon d’Or winner will be fit to participate in Portugal’s friendlies against Mexico on March 29 and the U.S. on April 1.
-Reuters
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Karim Benzema has joined Al-Hilal, the Saudi Pro League leaders announced on Monday, following the termination of his contract with Al-Ittihad.
Local media reported that the move to Al-Hilal came after Benzema rejected an offer to extend his contract with Al-Ittihad. The former French striker had missed the team’s previous two league matches.
“Al-Hilal signed French star Karim Benzema on a free transfer to represent the football team for one and a half years,” the Saudi club said in a statement.
Benzema had a successful spell with the Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad, leading them to the league title and the King’s Cup last season. It was the first domestic double in Al‑Ittihad’s history.
“This journey gave me a lot, both personally and professionally,” Benzema, who joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer in 2023 after 14 years with Real Madrid, said on X.
“I leave with my head held high, proud to have worn these colours and of everything we shared.”
The former Real Madrid striker, 38, scored 16 goals in 21 matches for Al-Ittihad in all competitions this season.
Al-Hilal sit top of the league standings with 47 points, one point ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. Al-Ittihad are sixth with 34 points.
-Reuters
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Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that his long and illustrious playing career will come to an end “soon,” admitting that while stepping away from football will be emotionally difficult, he has been preparing for the transition for years.
The 40-year-old Al Nassr striker, who holds the record as football’s all-time top scorer with 952 goals for club and country, spoke candidly about his future during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored published on Tuesday.
“Soon,” Ronaldo said when asked when he plans to retire. “I think I will be prepared. It will be very, very difficult. But I’ve been preparing for my future since I was 25, 26, 27 years old. I believe I’ll be ready to handle it.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has previously set himself a target of reaching 1,000 career goals, acknowledged that nothing will ever match the thrill of scoring. “Nothing compares to the adrenaline you get from scoring a goal,” he said. “But everything has a beginning and an end. I’ll have more time for myself, for my family, and to raise my kids.”
Ronaldo, who enjoyed two spells at Manchester United, also expressed his sadness over the club’s decline in recent years. Despite his difficult departure from Old Trafford three years ago, he said he still follows United’s fortunes.
“I’m sad because Manchester United is one of the most important clubs in the world and a club I still have in my heart,” he said. “But they don’t have a structure. I hope that changes soon, because the club’s potential is amazing.”
Reflecting on United’s struggles — including last season’s 15th-place finish, their worst since 1973–74 — Ronaldo added: “They’re not on a good path. And it’s not just about the coach or the players. In my opinion, he (manager Ruben Amorim) is doing his best. But what can you do? Miracles are impossible.”
As Ronaldo’s extraordinary career edges toward its conclusion, his words signal the closing chapter of one of football’s greatest ever journeys — a career defined by records, resilience, and relentless ambition.
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