Ngo-2021 uLionel Messi wasayina inkontileka ne-Saudi Tourism Authority okubikwa ukuthi imkhokhela imali efinyelela ku-$25 million (R455 million) esikhathini esiyiminyaka emithathu.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi uMessi uxoxa ngezinto ahlangabezane nazo ngesikhathi evakashele e-Saudi Arabia emakhasini akhe ezinkundla zokuxhumana anabalandeli abaningi abangu-472 million ku-Instagram, kubika i-New York Times.
Kodwa-ke, umbandela obalulekile wenkontileka ukuthi uMessi unqatshelwe ukwenza noma yiziphi izitatimende ezingase “zingcolise” isithunzi se-Saudi Arabia.
Kungenzeka ukuthi lesi sigaba somthetho sidalwe umlando omubi wezwe wamalungelo abantu. I-Saudi Arabia isolwa ngokuzibandakanya ngokufaka isandla semfene kwezemidlalo njengokusebenzisa imiqhudelwano yezemidlalo esezingeni eliphezulu kanye nokugunyazwa ukuthuthukiswa kwesithunzi sayo emphakathini.
Inkontileka iphinde iveze izibopho ezithile zikaMessi okuhlanganisa ukuthatha iholidi lomndeni oluya e-Saudi Arabia kanye ngonyaka izinsuku ezinhlanu noma amaholidi amabili athatha izinsuku ezintathu iholidi ngalinye.
Uhulumeni wase-Saudi Arabia ukhokhela izindleko zokuhamba zikaMessi nezamalungu omndeni angaba ngu-20 kanye nabangani.
Ukwengeza, uMessi kudingeka ukuthi akhangise i-Saudi Arabia ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, abambe iqhaza emkhankasweni wezwe wezokuvakasha aphinde enze umsebenzi wokusiza abantulayo kanye nokuhambela imcimbi ethile. Kuthiwa isibopho ngasinye sikhokhelwa cishe u-$2 million (R30 million).
Lesi sivumelwano semali eningi sigcizelela intshisekelo eqhubekayo ye-Saudi Arabia kuMessi ongumdlali wesibili okhokhelwa kakhulu emhlabeni ngemuva kukaCristiano Ronaldo, kubika i-Forbes.
Kuyaqondakala ukuthi uMessi uphinde wanikezwa isamba esikhulu iqembu lebhola lase-Saudi Arabia, i-Al Hilal kodwa ugcine ekhethe ukujoyina i-Inter Miami okuyiqembu elidlala kwi-Major League Soccer (MLS) e-Florida.
Yize ingadalulwanga imininingwane yenkontileka kaMessi ne-Major League Soccer, i-The Athletic ibike ukuthi angase ahlomule esivumelwaneni se-Major League Soccer sika-$2.5 billion (R45 billion) ne-Apple esimunikeza amalungelo okusakazwa kwemidlalo yeligi eminyakeni eyishumi ezayo.
Luhlanganiswe nguMbhali we-Staff
Esithombeni esingenhla: ULionel Messi
Umthombo wesithombe: Twitter