Messi Not Allowed To Say Anything Bad About Saudi Arabia In New $25 Million Influencer Deal

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Lionel Messi has a new deal with Saudia Arabia’s tourism authority but it comes with a few important caveats.

Over the weekend, the NY Times’ Karim Zidan released a report that revealed Messi would earn up to $25 million in three years for traveling to Saudi Arabia, doing a few commercials, and posting about his trips to Saudi Arabia.

Via NY Times

The contract shows that Messi could receive as much as 22.5 million euros, about $25 million, over three years for little actual work: a few commercial appearances, a handful of social media posts and some all-expenses-paid vacations to the kingdom with his family and children. He is expected to share images of those trips — marked with a Saudi-approved hashtag — with his vast online following.

According to Zidan, in the deal, Messi cannot say anything that will tarnish Saudi Arabia’s reputation.

But the document also contains a condition important to Saudi officials: Messi cannot say anything that might “tarnish” Saudi Arabia, a country that has faced widespread criticism for its human rights record.

Fans are already criticizing Messi over the deal.

Messi, who currently signed a deal to play with Inter-Miami, is set to make his debut some time in the fall.