How much money does Lionel Messi earn from lucrative contract to promote Saudi Arabia tourism? Astonishing fee and details explored
Lionel Messi recently rejected a move to Saudi Arabia in favor of MLS side Inter Miami but is still the country's tourism ambassador. He will reportedly receive a whopping €22.5 million over three years for some commercial appearances, social media posts, and all-expense paid vacations to the country.
As per a report in the New York Times, the Argentine pockets a stunning fee for a few posts on social media and making a couple of trips to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, as part of the deal, he can't make any comments that would "tarnish" the country's reputation.
Messi has been to the country twice so far. His most recent visit landed him in hot waters with his PSG.
The FIFA World Cup winner had to issue an apology for his trip and was suspended for two weeks. Following the apology, PSG reduced the suspension to one game and the Argentine returned to training.
Messi ran down his contract at PSG and left the club as a free agent. Lionel Messi was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, but snubbed the record offer from Al Hilal.
Why did Lionel Messi reject a move to Saudi Arabia?
Al Hilal were keen on signing Lionel Messi and offered a world-record contract to lure the Argentine, as per Marca. However, the €500 million per-season offer was rejected, as Messi did not want to move to the Middle East.
Speaking to SPORT, Messi confirmed that he had an offer from Saudi Arabia and would have moved there if he wanted money. However, his desire was to return to Barcelona and if that was not happening, leave Europe. He said:
“If the Barcelona thing didn’t work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more about my family. If it had been a matter of money I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. It seemed like a lot of money to me and the truth is that my decision was for the other side and not for money.”
Lionel Messi has signed with Inter Miami and is expected to make his debut in late July. He was with the Argentina national team last week and will be joining the MLS side after a vacation.