SUMMARY
- Lionel Messi's current club, Inter Miami, is on tour in the Middle East for the pre-season games.
- During that, Messi meets the worst goalkeeper in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Lionel Messi, the soccer great and Saudi tourism ambassador, is the star of a global marketing campaign for “Saudi Welcome To Arabia,” the national tourism brand of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Not only that, his current club, Inter Miami, is on tour in the Middle East for the pre-season games.
Lionel Messi and his teammates were given a royal welcome into the country by the Saudi Arabian delegates and were also introduced to important players and people in the country. Messi is regarded as one of the best soccer players in the world, and his influence is immense.
معالي المستشار تركي آل الشيخ يقدم محمد دعيع للأسطورة ميسي
“هذا محمد الدعيع أسوأ حارس في المملكة” pic.twitter.com/neNRLmt5Gw
— Messi Xtra (@M30Xtra) January 30, 2024
However, a funny incident occurred during the meet-up between Lionel Messi and the Saudi players and Shaikhs. His Excellency Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh introduced Mohamed Al-Deayea to the legend Messi, saying, “This is Muhammad Al-Deay’a, the worst goalkeeper in the Kingdom”.
Among the well-known worldwide personalities presently endorsing the Kingdom is Lionel Messi. He has been to Saudi Arabia on several occasions, most recently traveling there with his spouse, Antonella, and their three young children.
Who is Mohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea?
Former Saudi Arabian professional soccer player Mohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea was a goalkeeper. He collected a total of 173 officially recognized caps while playing with the Saudi Arabian national team in four FIFA World Cups.
🧵 (8/11)
Siguiente lugar encontramos a…8️⃣
Mohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea#ArabiaSaudi 🇸🇦
📍Tabuk.
Debut: 09 de Abril de 1993 vs 🇺🇸
Último Juego: 11 de Marzo del 2006
PJ: 178 pic.twitter.com/EVMaFcQmnc— Roldan Suárez (@joseroldansp) June 21, 2023
Al-Deayea’s professional career has been divided between Al-Hilal and Al-Ta’ee. He began as a handball player but was persuaded to switch to soccer by the club he played for and his older brother Abdullah. At the start of his career, Mohammed faced a lot of pressure due to the enormous expectations placed on him by his brother Abdullah, an AFC Asian Cup winner and well-known goalkeeper.
Lionel Messi opens up on his warm welcome to Saudi Arabia
“What I love about Saudi is that I always discover what I never expected,” said Lionel Messi regarding his marketing campaign with the country as well as his welcome to the country with his current club, Inter Miami. Inter Miami is currently on a pre-season tour in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia loves Lionel Messi.
— 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒 (@ChaaliiyKay) January 29, 2024
The journey itself illustrates how everything has changed for Inter Miami. In one of the team’s preseason games last season, it played Florida International University in front of an uninvited fan base; this season, it takes on Cristiano Ronaldo in front of an equally unimportant crowd.
Lionel Messi has changed the outlook of Inter Miami completely, and they are now one of the most followed clubs on social media and in the soccer community due to the presence of the World Cup winner. His move has not only changed the club but also the league, the MLS, completely.