Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could find themselves working together at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's 2030 World Cup bid.
The two global footballing megastars have entered their twilight years and are now weighing up their post-retirement plans. While Messi remains contracted to Paris Saint-Germain until June 2023 and may well opt to extend his stay in the French capital, Ronaldo finds himself as a free agent following his acrimonious departure from Manchester United which saw his £480,000-a-week contract terminated by the club.
After an explosive interview with Piers Morgan - in which he slammed boss Erik ten Hag and owners the Glazer family - the 37-year-old's tumultuous second spell with the Red Devils came to an abrupt end. Currently focused on captaining Portugal at this year's World Cup in Qatar, chiefs from across the border in the Saudi Arabian Professional League are reportedly plotting a transfer swoop.
According to The Telegraph, Ronaldo's camp are braced for offers from the Gulf state. The news comes in spite of claims that, over the summer, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner rejected an eye-watering offer from Saudi giants Al-Hilal which would've seen him earn £305million over two seasons. Ronaldo even admitted during his interview with Morgan that it was "hard" to reject that much cash.
Now, though, there's no Old Trafford safety net for the Portuguese striker, who was released from his deal with United on Tuesday. Given that Ronaldo recently confirmed that he'd like to retire from playing at 40, a move to the Middle East would likely end his hopes of playing in the Champions League again for good - but in turn open another door.
That's because Saudi Arabia are plotting a bid to host the 2030 World Cup and already have Messi on side. The Argentine forward, 35, has agreement with the country to promote tourism which is worth an alleged £25m per year, hinting that he and Ronaldo could front their World Cup campaign around the time that the pair of icons are both expected to hang up their boots.
Have your say! Should Ronaldo consider a move to Saudi Arabia? Give us your verdict in the comments section.
Although Saudi Arabia are yet to confirm their bid, which Messi isn't currently associated to within his tourism deal, it's widely anticipated that they'll team up with Egypt and Greece in an effort to share hosting of the tournament - which by then will be expanded to 48 teams. As reported by The Athletic, Saudi Arabia's ambitions are connected to a national objective: "Vision 2030."
The World Cup will no-doubt be a staple of those grand plans - just as the state's links to the Premier League 's new richest club, Newcastle United, are growing amid waves of controversy. So while we might not see Ronaldo and Messi - who recently partnered for a Louis Vuitton campaign - on the pitch together in Saudi Arabia, they may just find themselves on the same Saudi billboard.
