As January rolls on depressingly, so too does Saudi Arabia’s efforts to buy the concept of sport. Having lured Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr with a massive amount of money the promise of “a new challenge”, the kingdom has now set its sights on Lionel Messi. Already a tourism ambassador for the country – and, as such, unlikely to be swayed by pesky moral objections over human rights and sportswashing – Messi is wanted by Al Nassr’s Riyadh rivals, Al Hilal. With Saudi Arabia expected to bid for the 2030 World Cup alongside Greece and Egypt, signing Messi would be a PR coup that,…
