FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[nullama]

~snip~
Messi will get a lucrative contract with Inter Miami and there is no doubt regrading that. But no matter how lucrative it is, the new contract will be nowhere near the one that Al Hilal was offering. They were willing to pay up to $1.2 billion for just two years. Initially I thought that Messi rejected the offer from Saudis because he wanted to move to Barca. But then that was also not the case. If that was the excuse, then Messi would have said that he wanted to stay in Europe since the quality of competition is quite high. But with MLS there is no such excuse. The quality is even worse compared to the Saudi Professional League.

It seems that most sports are being bought by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc. There seems to be a focused investment in sports from those countries.

Not sure what's up, but these players and lots of people around them are getting a huge amount of money.

[1715654506]

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[1715654506]

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[FanEagle]

I do not think that any manager has any right to not play Messi, he is not just a talent or anything but he is like a god in his nation at this point, so if he ever wants to play, then he will get to play, there is nothing around it, that's how it works and that's how it will end.

I believe that we shouldn't really be shocked at the result and just realize that Messi will do whatever he wants and there is nobody there to stop him. However, will he want to play? That's up to him, if he decides not to because he already got all that he could ever hope for, then that's going to be fine for him. Think about it, is there any cup that he hasn't won before? I think not many, at this point he became more business man than just a player and that's why he may not want to as well.

[EarnOnVictor]

By joining Lionel Messi to Miami, it will create a passion for football there, of course it will have a positive impact on football there. Actually this is a breakthrough if a league wants to get a lot of attention, yes one way is by bringing in players with star labels. As before what Al Nassr did in Saudi Arabia, it was good for them.

as one of the countries that will host the 2026 world cup, messi's presence in the usa league will add to the impression of prestige, moreover messi and cristiano have the same star aura.  I can say the future of the USA league will be better with Messi's presence there, and people will start to look at the USA league and also the preparation of the USA as one of the hosts for the 2026 world cup.

Whether Lionel Messi will play in the next World Cup will be determined by his performance in Miami. But many hope that Lionel Messi can play the next World Cup. Another rumor is that Lionel Messi will join Barcelona after spending one season in Miami.

Yes, without a doubt, the fans of Inter Miami are aware that their team will be one of the best in the MLS , and this can lead them to grow the team and the League as such , but we all know here that the MLS does not have any player. it has made him reach the Top 1 , and Messi is clearly a player who will always be there, the bad thing is that MLS is seen as retirement for these players, and it is a calmer, more relaxed football, the fans there are not As in South America or in Europe , they are somewhat calmer , I think Messi went there to have more peace of mind,  he was not happy for 2 years.

Romeo Beckham ready to turn down chance to play with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami

Great stars will always be great wherever they go, especially the lesser team or countryside. Messi has been linked with many places in recent times, there are speculations that he is going to Saudi Arabia, a close relation claims that he would be back in Barcelona and now the USA claims are coming on board. Although this is not popular as I've never heard or read about it before. My guess is that Messi would find his part in either Barcelona or Saudi Arabia and you should know that the Saudi option would be for the money.

He would soon retire, so I believe gathering all the money possible is a very good and wise option now. The next world cup might also be his last, by then he should be 40-1 years, he can't predictably play in the next 2.

[Sithara007]

It seems that most sports are being bought by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc. There seems to be a focused investment in sports from those countries.

Not sure what's up, but these players and lots of people around them are getting a huge amount of money.

Not sure about Qatar (their bid for 2022 FIFA World Cup was made more than a decade ago), but Saudi Arabia is taking giant strides in sports. The current ruler (Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud) has explicitly stated that one of his aims is to make Saudi Arabia as one of the global sports hubs. And apart from football, they are making significant investments in other sports such as cricket, golf and boxing. And this is not a one-off policy change. Under prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia has taken a lot of revolutionary steps to integrate with the outside world, unlike the countries such as Qatar and Kuwait, who still want to live in the stone age.

[Popkon6]

It seems that most sports are being bought by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc. There seems to be a focused investment in sports from those countries.

Not sure what's up, but these players and lots of people around them are getting a huge amount of money.

Not sure about Qatar (their bid for 2022 FIFA World Cup was made more than a decade ago), but Saudi Arabia is taking giant strides in sports. The current ruler (Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud) has explicitly stated that one of his aims is to make Saudi Arabia as one of the global sports hubs. And apart from football, they are making significant investments in other sports such as cricket, golf and boxing. And this is not a one-off policy change. Under prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia has taken a lot of revolutionary steps to integrate with the outside world, unlike the countries such as Qatar and Kuwait, who still want to live in the stone age.

Saudi clubs have been floating since the past. I want to say that (Mohammed bin Salman) paid huge attention to the Saudi club when Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia during the opening game of the 2022 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. And the big players keep buying which is currently at the top of the discussion. And the clubs have become very strong enough to be exposed to the outside world. Salman Bin is ready to invest heavily on how to reach the pinnacle of further development. And with huge offers, stars are leading to clubs in Saudi Arabia.

[slapper]

I believe that Messi's performance will be secondary to the decision whether he plays the next World Cup in 2026 or not. With secondary I don't mean that it doesn't matter at all. But frankly speaking, I don't expect him to play a real mess in Miami. He will still be able to contribute to the team on a high level and have amazing moments for the crowd. That won't be the problem. But I think it will be important what the Argentinian crowd wants and what Messi's appeal as a brand and also as a supporting player for the team is. If the whole country of Argentina begs for Messi to play the World Cup, I am not sure that a coach would decide to publicly announce that Messi won't be nominated. The risk for the coach would be very high if things go wrong even when they would have gone wrong with Messi. If Messi does not announce his retreat, I think we will see him play one more World Cup. 

Also, a lot depends on such elementary things as physical fitness and health. If all this is on the level, then I think there will not be a single coach of the Argentine national team who will risk not including Messi in the squad. But once again, I repeat that there are still three whole years left and a lot can happen during this time, especially at the age that Messi is at, when it becomes harder to recover every year and therefore some players on the contrary refuse calls to the national team in order to find strength and health to play for their club. I'm not saying that this will happen now, I'm talking about what may happen in a few years. The very fact of Messi playing in the USA is already an important factor in attracting attention to the 2026 World Cup.

Messi’s prowess might be a game-changer, but not the only game piece. Messi is more than an athlete; he’s Argentina's beacon. His influence goes beyond the game.

However, remember, football’s a group dance. With Messi in, the team's combined output still rules. Messi’s a force, but can’t wrestle victory alone.

In terms of fitness, absolutely, it counts. Age might be a limit, but many players shatter it. If Messi holds onto his stamina, he might secure a 2026 World Cup berth. Yet, the final decision will depend on several factors, and time will certainly reveal what's in store

[Leviathan.007]

~snip~
Messi will get a lucrative contract with Inter Miami and there is no doubt regrading that. But no matter how lucrative it is, the new contract will be nowhere near the one that Al Hilal was offering. They were willing to pay up to $1.2 billion for just two years. Initially I thought that Messi rejected the offer from Saudis because he wanted to move to Barca. But then that was also not the case. If that was the excuse, then Messi would have said that he wanted to stay in Europe since the quality of competition is quite high. But with MLS there is no such excuse. The quality is even worse compared to the Saudi Professional League.

It seems that most sports are being bought by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc. There seems to be a focused investment in sports from those countries.

Not sure what's up, but these players and lots of people around them are getting a huge amount of money.

Letting countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar host the world cup will definitely damage the tournament because the only thing they can do is just spend money and there are not enough facilities there unless just like what Qatar has done in the past, Saudi Arabia spends money and hire workers from other countries to build stadiums and we can have another shiny but dirty world cup.

[Litzki1990]

Beckham WAS working on it, but to me it looked like it was a futile attempt and would never happen. I mean let's look at the details, one team is PSG, paying him tens of millions of dollars and he would be still playing at a high level without a doubt just as he did for 2 seasons, the other is Barcelona, is youth club he played nearly 20+ years and 15+ professional and won so many and they were willing to pay him a lot too, just that they would have to sell some other players to make it happen.

And another was Saudi Arabia, maybe not as good of a league that's true and they are "trying" something but so far have like 3 or 4 good players, rest of the league sucks but ONE BILLION!! dollars was offered.

When you see these, Inter Miami looks like a joke, and yet one way or another they convinced him, that's a big deal.

Probably he wanted to go to MLS because he had seen other players go there previously! ! That’s what probably inspired him to go there. He is also getting some good treatment to go there. It is not like he is not getting paid well. In fact, he is getting paid quite a handsome amount of money. But it is true that when we think about the other options, it is certainly a little surprising that he went to Inter Miami.

Did anyone expected that Ronaldo will make a move to Al-Nassr. It happened and a season over, throughout the season he was the talk. Whether he performed or not is secondary. Same as that Messi had made a big decision that were not in the list. He's much welcomed and he himself had mentioned his dream enjoying the life in USA and now it had come true. The universe is turning to be more connected through different leagues.

When Cristiano Ronaldo was last at Manchester United and when the issue of his leaving the club came in front of everyone, no one thought for a single moment that Cristiano Ronaldo could go to Saudi Arabia but to everyone's surprise, he joined Al-Nassr Club in Saudi Arabia at the last moment.  
Same goes for Lionel Messi this season when he was out of power with PSG it was almost certain that he was without class but we all expected that Messi might not return to Barcelona or go to the Saudi League but at the last minute he joined Inter Miami in the United States. That is, apart from the club of these two, only they both knew about it and surprisingly they showed such a surprising act.

[temple]

I believe that Messi's performance will be secondary to the decision whether he plays the next World Cup in 2026 or not. With secondary I don't mean that it doesn't matter at all. But frankly speaking, I don't expect him to play a real mess in Miami. He will still be able to contribute to the team on a high level and have amazing moments for the crowd. That won't be the problem. But I think it will be important what the Argentinian crowd wants and what Messi's appeal as a brand and also as a supporting player for the team is. If the whole country of Argentina begs for Messi to play the World Cup, I am not sure that a coach would decide to publicly announce that Messi won't be nominated. The risk for the coach would be very high if things go wrong even when they would have gone wrong with Messi. If Messi does not announce his retreat, I think we will see him play one more World Cup. 

Also, a lot depends on such elementary things as physical fitness and health. If all this is on the level, then I think there will not be a single coach of the Argentine national team who will risk not including Messi in the squad. But once again, I repeat that there are still three whole years left and a lot can happen during this time, especially at the age that Messi is at, when it becomes harder to recover every year and therefore some players on the contrary refuse calls to the national team in order to find strength and health to play for their club. I'm not saying that this will happen now, I'm talking about what may happen in a few years. The very fact of Messi playing in the USA is already an important factor in attracting attention to the 2026 World Cup.

I absolutely agree and it also depends on what Messi wants. Nobody knows yet whether even he himself would agree to play another World Cup. But when he now stays fit and shows some great performances in the MLS, I expect the fans around the globe to be wanting to see Messi play the World Cup or at least be part of the Argentina team. He will also feel the pressure that people want him to be there because he is their idol in soccer.

But yes it is three years to go and nobody knows what is going to happen. It is also possible that in two years he goes to Saudi Arabia and it is the Saudi Arabians who want him to play another World Cup in order to draw more attention to the Saudi league as well. A lot of potential scenarios and in the end we will have to wait and see how it plays out.

[KTChampions]

Sounds like a fantasy but I'm pretty sure that in the next World Cup we'll probably see both Messi and Ronaldo - even if they are mostly benched and all their playing time is limited to group games (which will obviously be easy). They are huge brands and I think even the organizers will push the leadership of the national teams to see them at another World Cup.
As for the "strongest team in the world - England" it's probably a joke 

I'm just imagining how the state of performance of Ronaldo and Messi will be in 2026 World Cup, I don't think they'll be very active their games and they won't be a player that can be rely on .so this means that if at all they will still be playing in the World Cup tournament they will not be given more chance to play in every game.

They don't have to play every game. As I already wrote, it is enough for them to enter the field a couple of times in the group stage, where, thanks to FIFA increasing the number of teams and thereby lowering the quality of the competition, we will know in advance which teams qualify from the group.
Messi said that he will not play in the World Cup 2026 but I remember him saying this already (I think even a couple of times) after another unsuccessful Copa America, but nevertheless he returned to the national team.

[Maslate]

Beckham WAS working on it, but to me it looked like it was a futile attempt and would never happen. I mean let's look at the details, one team is PSG, paying him tens of millions of dollars and he would be still playing at a high level without a doubt just as he did for 2 seasons, the other is Barcelona, is youth club he played nearly 20+ years and 15+ professional and won so many and they were willing to pay him a lot too, just that they would have to sell some other players to make it happen.

And another was Saudi Arabia, maybe not as good of a league that's true and they are "trying" something but so far have like 3 or 4 good players, rest of the league sucks but ONE BILLION!! dollars was offered.

When you see these, Inter Miami looks like a joke, and yet one way or another they convinced him, that's a big deal.

Barcelona FC was so keen in getting him but when Messi asked them, they cannot give a solid answer and was part of the reason why he did not return to Spain.
Anyway, here are some reasons that I found that might be reasonable enough on why Messi joined the Inter Miami FC and not Barcelona or Saudi Arabia.

1. Barcelona cannot afford it YET
A sensational return to Spain was reportedly Messi's preferred option, and the club was also keen on bringing him back.
However, although they have managed to get the green light from LALIGA to make a move for Messi, they still need to make sales to fund the operation.
The Qatar 2022 champion wanted his future sorted as soon as possible, and Barcelona were unable to provide guarantees.

2. American branding/business deal
Although he stands to earn nothing close to the reported wages offered by the Saudi club, the move to the MLS is lucrative and can be huge for Messi's brand.
According to the Athletic, Messi will reportedly receive a portion of the profits made by Adidas and Apple, two MLS-affiliated companies, for joining Inter Miami.  
He will also reportedly stand a chance to own a stake in the Miami-based club.

3. His family
Messi is evidently a family man, and they are involved in the decisions he makes.
According to reports, he did not see himself settling in Saudi Arabia with his family, hence the decision to choose Inter Miami.

Source: https://www.pulsesports.ng/football/story/3-reasons-why-messi-chose-inter-miami-over-barcelona-and-al-hilal-2023060717292795788

[Silberman]

When Cristiano Ronaldo was last at Manchester United and when the issue of his leaving the club came in front of everyone, no one thought for a single moment that Cristiano Ronaldo could go to Saudi Arabia but to everyone's surprise, he joined Al-Nassr Club in Saudi Arabia at the last moment.  
Same goes for Lionel Messi this season when he was out of power with PSG it was almost certain that he was without class but we all expected that Messi might not return to Barcelona or go to the Saudi League but at the last minute he joined Inter Miami in the United States. That is, apart from the club of these two, only they both knew about it and surprisingly they showed such a surprising act.

The truth is I do not think even they knew what they were going to do, according to the rumors Messi did indeed wanted to play at the Saudi Arabian league, but his wife simply did not agree with the decision to move there and that is why he is now at Miami, after all as we have discussed before the restrictions and laws on a country like Saudi Arabia could feel very restricting for some people and that is why Messi finally decided to play at Miami instead.

[Leviathan.007]

Beckham WAS working on it, but to me it looked like it was a futile attempt and would never happen. I mean let's look at the details, one team is PSG, paying him tens of millions of dollars and he would be still playing at a high level without a doubt just as he did for 2 seasons, the other is Barcelona, is youth club he played nearly 20+ years and 15+ professional and won so many and they were willing to pay him a lot too, just that they would have to sell some other players to make it happen.

And another was Saudi Arabia, maybe not as good of a league that's true and they are "trying" something but so far have like 3 or 4 good players, rest of the league sucks but ONE BILLION!! dollars was offered.

When you see these, Inter Miami looks like a joke, and yet one way or another they convinced him, that's a big deal.

Probably he wanted to go to MLS because he had seen other players go there previously! ! That’s what probably inspired him to go there. He is also getting some good treatment to go there. It is not like he is not getting paid well. In fact, he is getting paid quite a handsome amount of money. But it is true that when we think about the other options, it is certainly a little surprising that he went to Inter Miami.

Did anyone expected that Ronaldo will make a move to Al-Nassr. It happened and a season over, throughout the season he was the talk. Whether he performed or not is secondary. Same as that Messi had made a big decision that were not in the list. He's much welcomed and he himself had mentioned his dream enjoying the life in USA and now it had come true. The universe is turning to be more connected through different leagues.

When Cristiano Ronaldo was last at Manchester United and when the issue of his leaving the club came in front of everyone, no one thought for a single moment that Cristiano Ronaldo could go to Saudi Arabia but to everyone's surprise, he joined Al-Nassr Club in Saudi Arabia at the last moment.  
Same goes for Lionel Messi this season when he was out of power with PSG it was almost certain that he was without class but we all expected that Messi might not return to Barcelona or go to the Saudi League but at the last minute he joined Inter Miami in the United States. That is, apart from the club of these two, only they both knew about it and surprisingly they showed such a surprising act.

I don't agree with comparing these two players like that. Ronaldo left Manchester United because he had a poor performance there even in the first weeks in were playing on his team he got enough support but the Ronaldo we saw in the last months was not like the Rinaldo we saw in Real Madrid.
But Messi had a good performance in the last world cup and in PSG but he didn't get the support he had to get and that's why he left PSG for Inter Miami where can earn more money and he obviously could choose better teams but he put his family as first priority.
That's why I think even if we are going to see both players in the next world cup Messi can have much more chance there.

[LUCKMCFLY]

It is not bad that the players who are veterans have action, I also think that 38-39 years is not that bad, nor old, taking only young players is not good either, just look at the example that Luis's Spain team gave Enrique, a total failure, they had so many good players and they didn't want to take the ones who really play well, so taking veteran players and young players is the right combination, I do believe that veterans are needed so that they can get ahead Otherwise they would have the action that Spain had in Qatar.

It's not just Spain. In the playoff phase Portugal also tried the same approach and failed. What the teams need is an ideal mix of younger players and the experienced ones. France is a perfect example for such a team, and Argentina also comes close. And I don't agree with the argument that 38-29 year old players should not play for the national teams. Nowadays the players maintain adequate fitness levels, so that they remain competitive even at that age.

Yes, I really think that here the good combination of veteran players with younger ones is ideal, why? young players run a lot and have impressive speed, something that veteran players don't have unless you're CR7 or Messi who eventually are jets when they run, however when we see that in the news even right here on the forum they give it very Veteran players are tough because of their age, and yes, they may not have the same speed, but they are players who, if they leave the ball in an extreme situation, have the clarity to do the right thing, even over youngsters.

Beckham WAS working on it, but to me it looked like it was a futile attempt and would never happen. I mean let's look at the details, one team is PSG, paying him tens of millions of dollars and he would be still playing at a high level without a doubt just as he did for 2 seasons, the other is Barcelona, is youth club he played nearly 20+ years and 15+ professional and won so many and they were willing to pay him a lot too, just that they would have to sell some other players to make it happen.

And another was Saudi Arabia, maybe not as good of a league that's true and they are "trying" something but so far have like 3 or 4 good players, rest of the league sucks but ONE BILLION!! dollars was offered.

When you see these, Inter Miami looks like a joke, and yet one way or another they convinced him, that's a big deal.

Probably he wanted to go to MLS because he had seen other players go there previously! ! That’s what probably inspired him to go there. He is also getting some good treatment to go there. It is not like he is not getting paid well. In fact, he is getting paid quite a handsome amount of money. But it is true that when we think about the other options, it is certainly a little surprising that he went to Inter Miami.

Did anyone expected that Ronaldo will make a move to Al-Nassr. It happened and a season over, throughout the season he was the talk. Whether he performed or not is secondary. Same as that Messi had made a big decision that were not in the list. He's much welcomed and he himself had mentioned his dream enjoying the life in USA and now it had come true. The universe is turning to be more connected through different leagues.

When Cristiano Ronaldo was last at Manchester United and when the issue of his leaving the club came in front of everyone, no one thought for a single moment that Cristiano Ronaldo could go to Saudi Arabia but to everyone's surprise, he joined Al-Nassr Club in Saudi Arabia at the last moment. 
Same goes for Lionel Messi this season when he was out of power with PSG it was almost certain that he was without class but we all expected that Messi might not return to Barcelona or go to the Saudi League but at the last minute he joined Inter Miami in the United States. That is, apart from the club of these two, only they both knew about it and surprisingly they showed such a surprising act.

I don't agree with comparing these two players like that. Ronaldo left Manchester United because he had a poor performance there even in the first weeks in were playing on his team he got enough support but the Ronaldo we saw in the last months was not like the Rinaldo we saw in Real Madrid.
But Messi had a good performance in the last world cup and in PSG but he didn't get the support he had to get and that's why he left PSG for Inter Miami where can earn more money and he obviously could choose better teams but he put his family as first priority.
That's why I think even if we are going to see both players in the next world cup Messi can have much more chance there.

You are right, but what happens here is that when we talk about these two stars, they are the ones that give the most emotions in world football, until now I have not seen a player who has the same impetus as them, and apart from the same level that is from another world, for me both players did not give the required importance, they treated CR7 very badly, and Messi was not very good that the fans made that rudeness to him, and apart from that, the sheikh forced him to lose forgiveness, they are things that really people do not see, only the one who lives it is the one who knows, I think that for that reason they both went far away, to have more peace of mind doing what they like the most, I hope to see Messi and CR7 in the next world cup.

[alegotardo]

When Cristiano Ronaldo was last at Manchester United and when the issue of his leaving the club came in front of everyone, no one thought for a single moment that Cristiano Ronaldo could go to Saudi Arabia but to everyone's surprise, he joined Al-Nassr Club in Saudi Arabia at the last moment.  
Same goes for Lionel Messi this season when he was out of power with PSG it was almost certain that he was without class but we all expected that Messi might not return to Barcelona or go to the Saudi League but at the last minute he joined Inter Miami in the United States. That is, apart from the club of these two, only they both knew about it and surprisingly they showed such a surprising act.

In fact, I think that both Messi and Ronaldo have the same technical level, the problem is that Ronaldo was going through a very bad phase at that moment with Manchester United for different reasons, not because he was actually playing badly.
Portugal's disqualification in the quarterfinals left Ronaldo with an even greater "weight" on his conscience.

I believe that Ronaldo has already recovered from this bad phase and if he plays in the next world cup... I hope he accepts it and that Portugal qualifies, I believe that we will still be able to see Cristiano Ronaldo in his full form and as one of the favorite players .

[nullama]

~snip~
In fact, I think that both Messi and Ronaldo have the same technical level, the problem is that Ronaldo was going through a very bad phase at that moment with Manchester United for different reasons, not because he was actually playing badly.
Portugal's disqualification in the quarterfinals left Ronaldo with an even greater "weight" on his conscience.

I believe that Ronaldo has already recovered from this bad phase and if he plays in the next world cup... I hope he accepts it and that Portugal qualifies, I believe that we will still be able to see Cristiano Ronaldo in his full form and as one of the favorite players .

I think Messi is superior to Ronaldo, but they are very close.

And the thing is that both should actually retire since they are way past their prime already, and they should give the opportunity to the next generation.

I mean, they both can simply appear on ads and they will make more money than actually playing

[Sithara007]

The truth is I do not think even they knew what they were going to do, according to the rumors Messi did indeed wanted to play at the Saudi Arabian league, but his wife simply did not agree with the decision to move there and that is why he is now at Miami, after all as we have discussed before the restrictions and laws on a country like Saudi Arabia could feel very restricting for some people and that is why Messi finally decided to play at Miami instead.

If that is the real reason why Messi preferred MLS instead of the SPL, then I have to say that it is a big mistake. Look at Ronaldo. He is residing with his girlfriend in Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that unmarried couples are de jure not permitted in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has relaxed a lot of their strict laws recently. For rich people, many of the laws are not applicable. I just hope that Messi will not regret about the lost opportunity. $1.2 billion offer was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hopefully, he will rethink about it after a year in MLS.

[tiCeR]

The truth is I do not think even they knew what they were going to do, according to the rumors Messi did indeed wanted to play at the Saudi Arabian league, but his wife simply did not agree with the decision to move there and that is why he is now at Miami, after all as we have discussed before the restrictions and laws on a country like Saudi Arabia could feel very restricting for some people and that is why Messi finally decided to play at Miami instead.

If that is the real reason why Messi preferred MLS instead of the SPL, then I have to say that it is a big mistake. Look at Ronaldo. He is residing with his girlfriend in Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that unmarried couples are de jure not permitted in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has relaxed a lot of their strict laws recently. For rich people, many of the laws are not applicable. I just hope that Messi will not regret about the lost opportunity. $1.2 billion offer was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hopefully, he will rethink about it after a year in MLS.

...

Whether your words have been wisely chosen and are well-considered will remain unanswered I suppose.

Messi won't ever regret his decision because he will be a billionaire with or without a contract in the SPL. But what you said about the laws and how they only apply to rich people could be the exact reason why Messi did not go there. Ronaldo took the money from people in a country where a lot of things go wrong and are dominated by injustice. But you call it a lost opportunity when someone decides against taking the money. Let's see if he decides to go there later, but someone saying no to Saudi bloody money isn't a mistake, it can also be a statement.

Don't worry too much about Messi's financial future. I am positive that he will be able to afford his bread and butter everyday.

[tusandii]

I think Messi is superior to Ronaldo, but they are very close.

And the thing is that both should actually retire since they are way past their prime already, and they should give the opportunity to the next generation.

I mean, they both can simply appear on ads and they will make more money than actually playing

Ronaldo and Messi have both been very influential players for their national teams.
Ronaldo, who is a Portuguese national player, is one of the mainstay players for the attack line and vice versa, Messi for Argentina is also a core player in the attack line.
But both of them had their heyday at almost the same time to become players who were really very competitive.
It's just that it happened in the past when both of them still had the stamina and performance to play well.

Now, due to the age factor, maybe the way of playing has changed drastically, only luck distinguishes it, where Ronaldo was trusted to be brought in by the Saudi team with a very large contract, while Messi is still the subject of discussion.

[Rabata]

I think Messi is superior to Ronaldo, but they are very close.

And the thing is that both should actually retire since they are way past their prime already, and they should give the opportunity to the next generation.

I mean, they both can simply appear on ads and they will make more money than actually playing

Ronaldo and Messi have both been very influential players for their national teams.
Ronaldo, who is a Portuguese national player, is one of the mainstay players for the attack line and vice versa, Messi for Argentina is also a core player in the attack line.
But both of them had their heyday at almost the same time to become players who were really very competitive.
It's just that it happened in the past when both of them still had the stamina and performance to play well.

Now, due to the age factor, maybe the way of playing has changed drastically, only luck distinguishes it, where Ronaldo was trusted to be brought in by the Saudi team with a very large contract, while Messi is still the subject of discussion.

Their performance in the last world cup football was amazing. One of them was finally successful while the other was criticized for drooping to the bench. People's passion for Ronaldo increased when Portugal lost the match. Portugal did not win the last World Cup but his fan followers did not decrease. When you get older, you don't have the same energy as before. But I think these two legends will try to give their best at the last stage of their football career.