football-soient-une-vitrine-du-pays">According to the elements collected by the Telegraph, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo refused a contract of 6 million dollars, offered by the Saudi authorities of tourism. They wanted the two football monuments to be a showcase for the country.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have, according to The Telegraph, received a very generous offer to advertise and promote Saudi Arabia as a vacation destination. Local authorities would have offered six million euros per year to the Portuguese international.
As part of the deal, Ronaldo is said to have appeared in commercials and invited to visit the country, for wide distribution of the footage. But Ronaldo would have simply refused. The same goes for Lionel Messi.
This is not the first time that Saudi Arabia has turned to football to promote itself, as the country has even hosted the 2020 Spanish Super Cup. With a method far from unprecedented in global geopolitics, the Saudi Arabia is using sport to soften its image and increase its influence.
The “Visit Saudi Arabia” tourism campaign is struggling to take off, as the country has come under heavy criticism of late for its human rights record. Already organizer of the Dakar Rally since 2020, the country will host a Formula 1 Grand Prix from this 2021 season.
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