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Saudi Official Says Request for Messi’s Four-Month Stint Was Rejected Ahead of 2026 World Cup

A Mahd Academy director says a minister declined the proposal to prevent the league from being used as a training stop.

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Overview

  • Lionel Messi’s representatives sought a four-month spell in Saudi Arabia during the MLS off-season to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, according to Abdallah Hammad on the Thmanya podcast.
  • Hammad, who leads the Mahd Academy, said he relayed the request to a Saudi minister who refused it with the rationale that the domestic competition should not be a training ground.
  • The claim has not been independently confirmed by Messi, Inter Miami, the Saudi ministry, or a Saudi club, and remains based on Hammad’s account.
  • Hammad cited David Beckham’s past loan from LA Galaxy to AC Milan as the type of short-term arrangement Messi’s camp was seeking.
  • Saudi clubs have attracted stars since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in early 2023, including Karim Benzema and Neymar, and the kingdom was selected in 2024 to host the 2034 World Cup.