Lionel Messi, along with his family, travelled to Saudi Arabia after PSG's unexpected defeat to Lorient. Despite Kylian Mbappe's unusual goal, PSG was defeated 3-1 by Lorient, marking their sixth loss of the Ligue One season.
Messi played the entire game and then left for the Middle East, where he plans to spend a "few days." Recently, he was seen at the airport in Riyadh, the same city where Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Al Nassr.
Messi has visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before and is no stranger to the area, having toured Jeddah and the Red Sea one year ago.
Messi's upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia will mark his third visit to the country. It's worth noting that this trip is part of Messi's contractual obligation as a Saudi tourism ambassador:
"I am happy to welcome Saudi Tourism Ambassador Lionel Messi and his family on his second vacation in Saudi Arabia. We are happy to share our authentic Saudi welcome with you all," Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said.
Photos of Messi and his family in Saudi Arabia have been shared online. Messi also wrote about Saudi Arabia in his Instagram: "Who thought Saudi Arabia has so much green? I love to explore its unexpected wonders whenever I can."
According to The Athletic, Messi could be earning $25 million per year to promote Saudi Arabia.
