PSG forward and Argentinian captain, Lionel Messi, made a quick trip to the Republic of Gabon in July 2015 to show his support to the country prior to its African Cup Of Nation (AFCON) preparation. Gabon was to host the AFCON competition in 2017, which they eventually did.
The then Barcelona star was in Africa between July 17-July 18, 2015 on the invitation of President Ali Bongo to take part in an event on a stadium construction site in Port-Gentil, Gabon’s second-largest city. This move was reported to have earned the PSG No.10, £2.5 million according to a popular French newspaper report. Messi however debunked such claims saying he wasn’t paid for the trip.
The Gabonese President, Ali Bongo, cleared the air saying he had met Messi in Barcelona before then and Messi promised to pay him a visit, and his visit to Gabon was nothing but that. Many rumors circulated that Messi was denied payment because of his poor dressing to the prestigious event, a statement that doesn’t hold water as the Argentine laid a brick, gracing the commencement of the stadium. Many human rights organizations were totally against Messi’s visit and accused him of partying with a “dictator”, that is, Ali Bongo.
The accusations surrounding Messi’s trip became even more irrelevant, when Messi’s team told the popular French newspaper which published the “unverified” information that went viral to do a proper verification.
