"If I had the same conditions" - When Victor Osimhen picked between joining Lionel Messi in MLS and Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Pro League

Victor Osimhen, in 2023, chose to go to the Major League Soccer (MLS) to play with Lionel Messi over a move to the Saudi Pro League to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. The two are inarguably two of the greatest players to have played the sport and dominated world football together for well over a decade.

Messi and Ronaldo left Europe for the United States and Saudi Arabia, respectively, in 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to take his football career outside Europe, joining Al-Nassr in January 2023. Lionel Messi followed suit in the summer of the same year, signing for Inter Miami.

Their presence has, of course, increased the visibility of both leagues, as several players from across Europe have moved to either the MLS or the Saudi Pro League during that period. In a Twitch interview that included former Italy forward Mario Balotelli, Osimhen was asked to pick between the MLS or the Saudi Pro League, to which he responded:

"If I had the same conditions, I would go to MLS."

Watch here (4:22)

The Nigerian forward, however, praised the Saudi Pro League. He said (3:53 onwards):

"They are trying to develop their league, which is good. One [Ronaldo] of the greatest of all time has gone there. Because of his [Ronaldo's] influence, they have attracted a lot of talented players to also go there. So for me it's really good, they are trying to build their league into one of the best. For me they are doing something amazing."

Victor Osimhen was plying his trade with Serie A side Napoli at the time and was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal.

“It’s always been a great battle” – Lionel Messi on his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo

The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is inarguably the longest-running in football history. The duo pushed each other to their limits for more than a decade, sharing 13 Ballons d’Or between them.

But now it cannot be argued that both have passed their prime. Cristiano Ronaldo turned 40 in February, while Lionel Messi will celebrate his 38th birthday in June. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner recently reflected on his rivalry with the Portuguese.

He told France Football:

“It’s always been a great battle, in sporting terms. I think we’ve fed off each other with this rivalry because we’re both great competitors. He too always wanted to win everything all the time.

“It was a golden era for us and for every football fan. We deserve a lot of credit for staying at the top for so long. Because, as they say, it’s easy to get there. What’s difficult is staying there. We stayed at the top for 10, 15 years, I don’t know... It was spectacular and remains a great memory for everyone.”