Saudi Arabia’s critics deride the strategy as sportswashing. Read more at straitstimes.com.
RIYADH - As the sun set over a seemingly endless expanse of open sea, Lionel Messi took a seat at the edge of a boat, stretched out a leg and posed for the photograph that would announce the beginning of his public partnership with Saudi Arabia.
Messi, who is regarded perhaps as global soccer’s greatest player, was starting to cash in on the new partnership: His photo-op in the Red Sea likely earned him approximately US$2 million , the first step in fulfilling his agreement with the kingdom that is worth millions more. He is expected to share images of those trips – marked with a Saudi-approved hashtag – with his vast online following.
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