Lionel Messi has revealed he thought about joining Cristiano Ronaldo in moving to Saudi Arabia last summer.
The 36-year old was a free agent following the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
He was reportedly keen for a return to Barcelona, where he scored more goals and made more appearances for the club than any other player over a record-breaking 17-year period.
But when that failed to materialise, he was forced to consider his options, one of which was signing up for the Saudi Pro League.
“I was thinking a lot about going to the Saudi league,” he told TIME Magazine who named him athlete of the year.
“I know the country and they have created a very powerful competition that can become an important league in the near future.
“As the country’s tourism ambassador, it was a destination that attracted me, especially because I’ve enjoyed everything I have visited, because of how football is growing in the country and because of the effort they are putting into creating a top competition.
“It was Saudi Arabia or MLS, and both options seemed very interesting to me.”
Having both players in the league would have been a huge coup for the division, but in the end, the Argentine opted to move to the MLS where he joined Inter Miami.
He has since scored 11 goals in just 14 appearances, helping the club win the Leagues Cup in the process as they beat Nashville on penalties in the final.
Messi says it has been “pretty easy” to adapt to life in America.
“For now, we can’t complain about anything. Perhaps the most difficult thing to adapt to may be the traffic, although in Paris it was also complicated. And then the heat and humidity in the summer.
“Although being on the beach or on vacation can often be pleasant, for playing sports, training or playing games, especially in the summer, perhaps it is a little too much, and that shows.”
