Barcelona great Rivaldo has slammed Lionel Messi over his trip to Saudi Arabia.

PSG have suspended Messi for two weeks after he took an unauthorised trip to Riyadh. Messi is a tourism ambassador of Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr, Rivaldo said: "I understand that sometimes the players are fooled by the big contract they sign in Saudi Arabia, but then life there is more closed and football is not always as easy as expected. So, you may be going through a phase of some disappointment and even reflection. if the money he is receiving makes up for the not so happy life he is living at the moment.

“This happens to all players and Messi himself will soon be able to witness it. It would be good for him and for football to see Cristiano Ronaldo return to Real Madrid to finish his career. Of course, the fans have to understand that they cannot demand the same from him as he did when he was 25 or 26 years old, but he can still help the club in more achievements.

“It made me a little sad to see Lionel Messi take this kind of attitude, disrespectful towards his current club, something that is unusual in his career, which has always been marked by a clean sheet in terms of discipline. He certainly could have done it differently. He had alternatives - to talk to the club, wait for the Saudi leaders to come to Paris or even wait for the end of the season - to reach an understanding with PSG without causing this internal problem."