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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Karim Zidan

Lionel Messi earned $122m last year. He still felt the need to take Saudi money

Lionel Messi Saudi Saudi Arabia David Beckham Human Rights Football Jeddah Qatar Visit Saudi
Lionel Messi has made several visits to Saudi Arabia during his career
Lionel Messi has made several visits to Saudi Arabia during his career. Photograph: Matthieu Mirville/DPPI/LiveMedia/REX/Shutterstock

Less than a year after signing with Paris Saint-Germain – one of Qatar’s most prominent sportswashing projects – Lionel Messi is now the face of yet another oppressive Middle Eastern monarchy.

The Argentinian was unveiled as the latest tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia during a trip to Jeddah, a port city along the Red Sea, on Monday.

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