Lionel Messi is being paid up to $25 million just to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia — as long as he doesn't say anything to 'tarnish' the country: report

• Lionel Messi is the second highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes.
• The soccer player signed a contract in 2021 with the Saudi Tourism Authority to promote the Kingdom.
• The deal requires Messi to take an annual vacation to the country, among other stipulations.

Lionel Messi, one of the world's highest-paid athletes, signed a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabia's tourism authority in 2021 to promote the country, The New York Times reported.

Newly unveiled contract details reviewed by the Times show the Argentine soccer player could receive up to $25 million over three years to act as a sort of ambassador for Saudi Arabia's growing tourism industry.

Part of the deal requires Messi to post his travels to Saudi Arabia on his social media accounts, which currently includes 472 million Instagram followers. Some of the earliest Instagram posts of him in the country date back to May 2022.

"If you are coming to watch the World Cup, and you want to have an authentic Arabian experience. Don't miss out on everything Saudi is offering!" Messi wrote in an Instagram post marked as a paid partnership with Visit Saudi from October 7, 2022.

With this deal, Messi is also barred from saying anything that may "tarnish" Saudi Arabia, the Times reported. Given the country's notoriously poor human rights record, it's an important stipulation in the contract.

More recently, the country has been accused of attempting to sportswash atrocities by backing a golf competition, LIV Golf. On June 6, LIV Golf and the PGA Tour — once rivals — announced a surprise merger.

A document reviewed by the Times shows how much Messi is paid for fulfilling each contract agreement, including about $2 million to take one annual family vacation to the country for five days or two annual vacations of three days each. The Saudi government will pay travel expenses for Messi and up to 20 family members and friends, according to the report.

Messi must also promote Saudi Arabia on his social media account, participate in the country's tourism campaign, and perform charitable work and guest appearances. Each obligation pays out about $2 million, the Times reported. It is unclear if the document reviewed by the Times reflects the most updated terms of Messi's contract.

The lucrative deal highlights Saudi's continued interest in the prolific soccer star, the second highest-paid athlete in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Forbes.

According to The Athletic, Messi was offered $429 million a year to join Saudi Arabia's soccer club, Al Hilal. Messi ultimately decided to join the Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Inter Miami, in Florida, which David Beckham co-founded.

Details of the MLS offer are unknown, but The Athletic reported that Messi could receive a portion of MLS's $2.5 billion deal with Apple, which has an agreement to stream the league's matches for the next ten years.