Messi Could Become Highest-Paid Soccer Star, Beat Ronaldo’s $214M Contract; Here’s How

The local rivals of Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr – Al Hilal – are reportedly looking to sign Lionel Messi.

Messi has entered the final six months of his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) contract and has still not reached an agreement to extend his deal with the Ligue 1 side.

Al Hilal are preparing an offer for Messi that would see the World Cup winner earn around $300 million per year, reported Spanish outlet Marca.com.

If Messi agrees to sign with Al Hilal, he would beat Ronaldo to become the most-paid soccer player. Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr as a free agent on a two-year contract. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s salary at the Saudi Arabian club is believed to be around $214 million per year.

Messi is already been linked to the country as he is currently serving as Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambassador.

Following Ronaldo’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, Al Hilal are now trying to bring Messi to the country by signing him. The Saudi State will help Al Hilal financially in order for them to have the best chance of signing Messi as they believe the two stars will help improve Saudi Arabia’s soccer leagues, reported another Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

Ronaldo abruptly terminated his association with Manchester United recently on mutual consent following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. In the interview, Ronaldo slammed the club and boss Erik ten Hag, saying he felt betrayed by the Red Devils and that he “did not respect” the Dutch boss.

Saudi Arabia are reportedly planning to make a bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030 and Ronaldo could have a role to play in the venture. Apart from his wages, the former Real Madrid superstar could also earn over $214 million after he agreed to take on an ambassadorial role for World Cup.

Ronaldo, who is yet to make his debut for Al Nassr, is currently serving a two-match suspension, which he received in November after he smashed an Everton fan’s mobile phone last April. The two-game suspension means the Portuguese forward will not be able to play on Jan. 14 in the game against Al-Shabab. Ronaldo’s competitive debut for Al-Nassr is expected to be on Jan. 22 against Al-Ettifaq.

Fans in Saudi could see Ronaldo play in an exhibition match against Messi’s PSG on Jan. 19. However, the home team will be a Saudi All-Star team, which comprises players from Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. This means Ronaldo won’t don the Al-Nassr jersey in the match.