Lionel Messi took a break from club action as he visited Saudi Arabia with his family. This came after Paris Saint Germain were beaten 3-1 on Sunday by Lorient.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 20th minute as defender Achraf Hakimi was shown a second yellow card for a stomp on Darlin Yongwa. In the fifth minute, the Moroccan right-back was also booked for a late tackle on Romain Faivre.
Lorient then took the lead in the 15th minute, capitalizing on a possession spell with a sliding attempt from Enzo Le Fee into the top part of the net. Kylian Mbappe then equalized controversially after the Lorient goalkeeper placed the ball on the ground. He had thought he had won a free kick but the referee said no allowing Mbappe to score in an open net. This made him the top scorer in the league with 23 goals.
In the 39th minute, Romain Faivre exploited PSG’s vulnerability by assisting Darlin Yongwa, who tapped home for a 2-1 advantage. Substitute In the 88th minute, Bamba Dieng clinched the victory by scoring a rebound during a counterattack.
PSG has also had unimpressive team performances in recent games but has been continually rescued by the ability of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. They are leading Ligue 1 with 75 points with 5 games remaining. Rivals Marseille are second placed with 70 points. The loss led to the team receiving boos and whistles from the home fans.
Why did Lionel Messi go to Saudi Arabia?
As the Argentinian currently has a break period from his club PSG, he visited Saudi Arabia with his family. The Argentinian is an ambassador for the nation’s tourism industry as part of its promotional brand Visit Saudi.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb even tweeted about the visit. “I am happy to welcome #Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences. “
I am happy to welcome #Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences.
— Ahmed Al Khateeb Ø£Øمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) May 1, 2023
We welcome visitors from all around the world to experience a unique trip to Saudi Arabia and its hospitality. 🇸🇦#WelcomeMessi pic.twitter.com/QQGdnAqQ08
He also shared pictures of Lionel Messi and his family enjoying the nation’s many unique features. He relaxed in the Saudi sun, was seen playing a carrom board game, and fed a gazelle with his sons.
The photos became viral on social media as fans were excited and intrigued to see Messi in the Arabian country.
The visit came just a day after Messi posted a promotional post on his social media about the Arab country. He put a picture of some date palm trees with the caption, “Who thought Saudi has so much green? I love to explore its unexpected wonders whenever I can.”
Yo is Messi going to Al Hilal? pic.twitter.com/KP6ZKRokM8
— Miliphicer_CFC (@MILIPHICER) April 29, 2023
Lionel Messi has been linked with a summer move away from PSG. He is said to be close to re-joining longtime club Barcelona. According to Fabrizio Romano, he also has an offer from Saudi club Al Hilal which is offering him a huge 400 million euro offer. This is why Messi visiting Saudi led to many thinking the Argentine may accept Al Hilal’s offer. But is said that Messi wants to stay in Europe as he plans to compete in the upcoming Copa America.
Messi will return to training soon as PSG faces Troyes on Monday as they edge closer to an 11th Ligue 1 title.
