The following is a list of the highest paid players for 2023 and as we can see, all of them are filled with big names. In first place, of course, there is Ronaldo who took steps to join one of the Saudi league teams, namely Al-Nassr and he received a large fee of 200 million euros plus 60 million off the field. Meanwhile, Messi, who has chosen to join one of the teams in MLS, namely Inter Miami, is in second place with a fee of 135 million euros. The rest of the list of highest paid players is still filled with other star players. Talking about these two GOATs, of course the difference is almost 2x and I think if Messi agreed to join Al-Hilal last summer he would certainly occupy the first position as the highest paid player. But the decision to join Al-Hilal failed and Messi wanted more what his family needed and in the end he chose to enjoy life in MLS.
Ronaldo is still a soccer athlete with a fairly large salary when compared to other players. Ronaldo also succeeded in becoming a football icon in the revival of the Saudi Arabian league. He is truly a player who has a magnet big enough to attract other players to follow in his footsteps and join the Saudi Arabian team. Well, Sadio Mane also hasn't escaped our attention because since joining Al Nassr he has become a top 10 player with a fairly high salary.
For Lionel Messi and Mbappe these two players could have been quite high paid players if they had joined a Saudi Arabian league team in last season's transfer window. But they rejected it which makes them sit below ronaldo as the highest paid footballer in the world.
You can't cheat age, your body deteriorate when you come to some certain age and that's what his body is doing right now, I know that he is still relevant to some people and icon to some players but the day he joined Saudi Pro League seems like his career is dead to me. His performance right now should be a retiring football because if really it was when he was in his prime he went to Saudi Arabia, he goal record will exceed others by far and the margin will remain difficult for any player that want to win Premier League, Champions League and other European trophies.
Messi and Mbape are not supposed to go to Saudi Arabia, fifa will not like such deal because trust me when I say the attention of football will move from Europe to Asia. Saudi Arabia will achieve what they want in the first place and that's their aim, to become one of the best and recognized league in the world. Take a look at the massive love Messi him received from USA, he changed their system but didn't grow much because USA people don't rate football (soccer) so much, they love basketball more. If it was Saudi Arabia that received Messi, the enchantments in every match is going to be crazy.