Who Is the Messi Scoring in the Saudi Pro League?
A player named Messi has scored in the Saudi Pro League — but it is not who you think. Rayane Messi Tanfouri is a 19-year-old French winger who has just completed a fresh loan move to Al-Ettifaq from RC Strasbourg. He is not related to Lionel Messi in any way. Here is everything you need to know about the young talent behind one of football's most confusing headlines.
Who Is Rayane Messi?
Rayane Messi Tanfouri was born on 22 May 2007 in France. He plays as a left winger, though he can also operate as a striker, and is currently on loan at Al-Ettifaq from parent club RC Strasbourg Alsace — Chelsea's sister club in Ligue 1.
His talent has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, The Guardian named him one of the best players born in 2007 anywhere in the world, a strong marker of his reputation coming through the French system.
On the international stage, Messi has represented France at both U17 and U19 level. However, his heritage means he could still switch allegiances. His father, Zacharie Messi Tanfouri, has Cameroonian and Sudanese roots, while his mother is Tunisian — making him eligible to represent Cameroon or Tunisia as well as France.
His Start at NEOM SC
Messi joined NEOM SC on loan on 2 February 2026, midway through the 2025-26 season. He opened his Saudi Pro League account that same month, netting his first goal shortly after arriving, and followed it up with an assist on 25 February 2026, helping NEOM SC to a 1-1 draw against Al Fayha.
By the time his loan spell ended, Messi had made 13 Saudi Pro League appearances for NEOM SC, finishing with 1 goal and 1 assist to his name, before returning to Strasbourg at the end of June 2026.
Before making the move to Saudi Arabia, Messi had spent the first half of the 2025-26 season on loan at Pau FC in Ligue 2. He had earlier scored for Strasbourg in the Coupe de France during the 2024-25 season, before that loan spell began.
His Move to Al-Ettifaq
Messi's time in Saudi Arabia was not over for long. On 14 August 2026, he completed a new loan move to Al-Ettifaq, once again leaving parent club Strasbourg for the Saudi Pro League. The deal is set to run until 30 June 2027, meaning he will spend the entire 2026-27 season with the club before returning to Strasbourg.
The switch gives Messi another crack at Saudi top-flight football, just weeks after his first stint in the country came to a close with NEOM SC. It also marks his third loan move away from Strasbourg within the space of a year, following earlier spells at Pau FC and NEOM SC.
Is He Related to Lionel Messi?
No. Despite sharing one of football's most famous surnames, Rayane Messi has no connection to Lionel Messi whatsoever.
The surname is simply his biological family name, inherited from his father. It has nothing to do with the Argentine icon — it was part of his family heritage long before Rayane was even born. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami in MLS and has never featured in, let alone scored in, the Saudi Pro League.
Same surname. Completely different stories.
Rayane Messi is only getting started in professional football. With eligibility for three national teams, a fresh loan spell at Al-Ettifaq, and a place in a top European club's system, the confusion around his name may persist — but his talent is starting to do the talking on its own.