Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays in the Arabian league, at Al-Nassr. (Getty Images)
After Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia is looking for a collaboration with Lionel Messi, in addition to large multinationals, to promote its candidacy to organize the 2030 World Cup.
Following the model of Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup, and the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabiathe leading oil-exporting country, has multiplied in recent years the organization of major sporting events to diversify its economy and improve its image, affected by accusations of ferocious repression of dissidents.
“Saudi Arabia is closing agreements with large companies to sponsor its bid to host the World Cup“, assured the agency AFP a person in charge close to the operation, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
According to this source, the powerful Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund) is behind the operation, as it already does with numerous international investment projects in the country, to sign collaboration agreements with major brands in the communications, internet and tourism sectors.
Riyadh intends “to announce his candidacy in a few weeks“This source assured.
The Saudis, on the other hand, negotiate with the Argentine star Lionel Messiwhich has already lent its image in the past for a tourism promotion campaign in the country.
Recently signed by a local championship club, the other big soccer star, the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldowill receive 200 million euros for playing in the Saudi league and an additional identical amount for promoting the candidacy of the oil monarchy, according to an anonymous source from his club, Al-Nassr.
Curiously, Ronaldo and Messi could promote the Saudi candidacy when two others that have already been officially announced bring together on one side Portugal, Spain and Ukraine and on the other to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile.
An Egyptian official said in September that his country wanted to present a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, along with Saudi Arabia and Greece.
At the beginning of February, Prince Abdelaziz ben Turki al-Fayçal, Minister of Sports, assured AFP that his country had not officially presented itself, but that “everything is possible.”
Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 Asian Cup for the first time in its history, a competition considered a test for an eventual second World Cup in an Arab country.
