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Lionel Messi caused a bit of a stir as he traveled to Saudi Arabia just a day after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suffered a shock 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday (April 30).
A report from RMCSport has revealed that his visit might be part of his contract with the Saudi Arabian government as their tourism ambassador. The 35-year-old signed a contract with them in 2022.
Lionel Messi surprised his followers online with an Instagram post promoting tourism in Saudi Arabia. The timing of the message is interesting as the former Barcelona star has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League recently.
The post was in partnership with Visit Saudi, which is the official tourism page of Saudi Arabia. The PSG superstar's caption on the post read:
"Who thought Saudi has so much green? I love to explore its unexpected wonders whenever I can."
Saudi Arabia are aggressively promoting tourism and has also partnered with the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2023 season. Their Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb tweeted on Monday, welcoming Messi and his family to the country for a vacation. His tweet read:
"I am happy to welcome Saudi Tourism Ambassador Lionel #Messi and his family on his second vacation in Saudi. We are happy to share our authentic Saudi welcome with you all #WelcomeMessi."
Lionel Messi's contract with PSG expires in the summer and Saudi Arabia looks like a viable destination
Lionel Messi will become a free agent on June 30, when his two-year contract with PSG, which he signed in 2021, comes to an end. The two parties are yet to reach an agreement to extend the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's contract.
Messi has been in good form this season and has scored and assisted 15 times each in Ligue 1 for Les Parisiens.
As questions remain over his future, his former club Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League have emerged as potential destinations for the star. Major figures including president Joan Laporta, vice-president Rafael Yuste, and manager Xavi Hernandez have talked about bringing Messi back to the Spotify Camp Nou.
Last month, it was reported that Al-Hilal had offered a very lucrative contract to the PSG star, with a yearly salary of €400 million (via Marca). The player reportedly didn't consider the offer as he is keen on finishing his career in Europe.
PSG are back in action on Sunday against Troyes. They have a five-point lead over second-placed Marseille and with just five games left to play this season, they will need Lionel Messi to finish the 2022-23 campaign off in style.
