IN November 2010, Argentina and Brazil played a friendly in Qatar. Lionel Messi, then 23, already a global football superstar and Ballon d’Or winner, and Neymar, then an 18-year-old rising global sensation, were on the pitch at the Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium. Over a decade later, the duo will now play together for a Qatari-owned club, a year before Qatar stages the biggest sporting event ever in the Gulf.

Messi’s move to Paris St Germain after leaving Barcelona seems to be the final piece in the jigsaw for Qatar’s showcase club in its quest to win the prize it most covets — the Champions League. But it extends beyond that. And to November 2022, when Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup. During his time at Barca, Messi played and won titles in jerseys that had Qatar Foundation and Qatar Airways emblazoned on them, but this is bigger.

Messi playing and lifting trophies for the club owned by Qatar is the biggest promotion the tiny, oil-rich state could’ve hoped for. One, the Qataris wouldn’t probably not even have thought of when Messi played in their country back in 2010, a few weeks before they were awarded the hosting rights for the World Cup. Soon after, Qatar began sponsoring Barca through the Qatar Foundation, becoming the first named sponsors to appear in front of the players’ jerseys in the club’s history.

Then, in June 2011, Qatar Sports Investments — owned by the oil-rich state — bought PSG in a move that was criticised by many as ‘sportswashing’, a practice describing how regimes use sport to launder their reputation, to gloss over miserable records on human rights. Fuelled by Qatar, PSG immediately set their sights on winning the Champions League and getting into the European elite. Neymar was signed from Barca for a world record fee in 2017 to achieve that and they almost got there in 2020, when they lost the final to Bayern Munich. Now, they have signed Messi.

“The Messi deal isn’t just about Messi … it’s about Qatar and 2022,” Professor Simon Chadwick, the director of the Eurasian sports centre at France’s Emlyon Business School told Dawn on Wednesday, minutes after Messi’s signing was confirmed by PSG. “It’s a really important year for the Qataris, obviously staging the World Cup and if PSG can successfully win the Champions League in May, it will be an important milestone in the national development of Qatar as a country.

“Sports, and specifically football, are an integral part of the country’s vision and development plan. This is a return on investment. If winning the Champions League and hosting the World Cup are achieved in the same year, it will be job done for the Qatar government. It will also have a political impact in terms of profile, the image and the reputation of Qatar, which we know is keen to build the country’s brand and project soft power.”

Like the Champions League for PSG, the World Cup has proven elusive for Messi. By Qatar 2022, Messi would be 35, and it would be, perhaps, his last shot at winning

Question

IN November 2010, Argentina and Brazil played a friendly in Qatar. Lionel Messi, then 23, already a global football superstar and Ballon d’Or winner, and Neymar, then an 18-year-old rising global sensation, were on the pitch at the Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium. Over a decade later, the duo will now play together for a Qatari-owned club, a year before Qatar stages the biggest sporting event ever in the Gulf.

Messi’s move to Paris St Germain after leaving Barcelona seems to be the final piece in the jigsaw for Qatar’s showcase club in its quest to win the prize it most covets — the Champions League. But it extends beyond that. And to November 2022, when Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup. During his time at Barca, Messi played and won titles in jerseys that had Qatar Foundation and Qatar Airways emblazoned on them, but this is bigger.

Messi playing and lifting trophies for the club owned by Qatar is the biggest promotion the tiny, oil-rich state could’ve hoped for. One, the Qataris wouldn’t probably not even have thought of when Messi played in their country back in 2010, a few weeks before they were awarded the hosting rights for the World Cup. Soon after, Qatar began sponsoring Barca through the Qatar Foundation, becoming the first named sponsors to appear in front of the players’ jerseys in the club’s history.

Then, in June 2011, Qatar Sports Investments — owned by the oil-rich state — bought PSG in a move that was criticised by many as ‘sportswashing’, a practice describing how regimes use sport to launder their reputation, to gloss over miserable records on human rights. Fuelled by Qatar, PSG immediately set their sights on winning the Champions League and getting into the European elite. Neymar was signed from Barca for a world record fee in 2017 to achieve that and they almost got there in 2020, when they lost the final to Bayern Munich. Now, they have signed Messi.

“The Messi deal isn’t just about Messi … it’s about Qatar and 2022,” Professor Simon Chadwick, the director of the Eurasian sports centre at France’s Emlyon Business School told Dawn on Wednesday, minutes after Messi’s signing was confirmed by PSG. “It’s a really important year for the Qataris, obviously staging the World Cup and if PSG can successfully win the Champions League in May, it will be an important milestone in the national development of Qatar as a country.

“Sports, and specifically football, are an integral part of the country’s vision and development plan. This is a return on investment. If winning the Champions League and hosting the World Cup are achieved in the same year, it will be job done for the Qatar government. It will also have a political impact in terms of profile, the image and the reputation of Qatar, which we know is keen to build the country’s brand and project soft power.”

Like the Champions League for PSG, the World Cup has proven elusive for Messi. By Qatar 2022, Messi would be 35, and it would be, perhaps, his last shot at winning

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

In the illustrious annals of football, where heroes are born and celebrated, November of 2010 marked a significant moment. A friendly encounter between Argentina and Brazil transpired upon the hallowed grounds of Qatar's Khalifa International Stadium. The stage was set, and amidst a backdrop of fervent anticipation, two prodigious talents graced the field that day. Lionel Messi, a veritable superstar of the sport, already adorned with the prestigious Ballon d'Or, took his place alongside Neymar, a burgeoning sensation, merely eighteen years of age, but brimming with potential and ambition.

Now, as the hands of time have woven a decade-long tapestry, we find ourselves in a remarkable twist of fate. The paths of these footballing maestros intersect once more, united under the banner of a Qatari-owned club. A year on from this juncture, the grandest sporting event ever to grace the Gulf shall unfold upon the shores of Qatar. How extraordinary it seems, that destiny has not only reunited these two titans, but has bestowed upon them the honor of representing a club that resonates with the aspirations of a nation.

Messi's recent sojourn to Paris St Germain, following his departure from Barcelona, appears to be the final piece in Qatar's intricate puzzle. One can discern the grand design of this Qatari showcase club, ceaselessly striving to claim the most coveted prize of all - the Champions League. Yet, this narrative transcends mere footballing triumphs. Its tendrils stretch forth to the horizon of November 2022, when Qatar shall play host to the FIFA World Cup. As Messi dons the jersey of a club owned by Qatar, the tiny realm gleams with an unprecedented glory, an accolade unimagined in the depths of time, when Messi first graced its shores in 2010.

Indeed, during his tenure at Barcelona, Messi triumphed in a multitude of championships, his victories emblazoned upon jerseys adorned with the indelible imprints of the Qatar Foundation and Qatar Airways. Yet, this symbiotic relationship pales in comparison to the enormity of the present union. Messi's resplendent presence, his artistry unveiled upon the stage of a Qatari-owned club, heralds the greatest endorsement that this minuscule, oil-rich state could have ever envisioned. Its significance eclipses even the loftiest dreams conjured in the empyreal realms of possibility.

Once Qatar Sports Investments, a prosperous entity tethered to the wealth of an oil-rich state, seized ownership of PSG in June of 2011, a whisper of scrutiny emerged from the shadows. Was this act merely an attempt at "sportswashing"? A cunning endeavor to cleanse a tarnished reputation, to dance upon the world's stage and mute dissonant voices crying out against perceived failings in the realm of human rights? Yet, undeterred by the skepticism that fluttered upon the breeze, fueled by Qatari aspirations and backed by immense might, PSG took flight upon a grand quest for European glory. And in 2017, Neymar was secured, in a record-breaking transaction, to spearhead this relentless charge towards their hallowed goal.

Nearly clinching victory in 2020, their dreams, though within grasp, slipped through their fingers as Bayern Munich emerged victorious in the final. And now, the pen inscribes a new chapter, for Messi has arrived. Yet, let us not confine our gaze solely upon the brilliance of this footballing virtuoso. For Professor Simon Chadwick, the esteemed director of the Eurasian sports center, situated within the hallowed halls of France's Emlyon Business School, treads a path of enlightenment. He imparts to us a greater understanding of the tapestry unfolding before our eyes.

"The Messi deal isn't just about Messi," he eloquently declares, his words cascading upon us with a profound weight. Nay, it reaches far beyond the confines of one individual, encompassing the vast expanse of Qatar and the resplendent year that awaits them - the year of 2022. A year resplendent with the honor of hosting the World Cup, a crowning achievement for Qatar, a juncture upon which their national development pivots. To grasp victory in the Champions League during May of that year, to unite it with the grandeur of the World Cup, their ambitions shall be realized, their goals accomplished.

The Qatar government, ever mindful of the indelible power of sports, of football's irrefutable place within their vision and development plan, foresaw this return on investment. The very fabric of their nation, intricately woven with threads of footballing prowess and ambition, bears the potential to transform not merely their profile or image, but their very soul. The reputation of Qatar shall flourish, its brand elevated to untold heights, projecting a soft power upon the vast tapestry of the world.

Yet, as Shakespeare so wisely imparted through his quill, the World Cup, akin to the elusive Champions League, has thus far eluded Messi's grasp. By the year 2022, when Qatar beckons the world to its shores, Messi shall stand at the cusp of thirty-five. It shall, perhaps, be his final assault upon the pinnacle of footballing glory. We contemplate this with profundity, for it symbolizes not merely a game reduced to mortals kicking leather upon a field, but a profound testament to the human spirit. It asks us to ponder the passage of time, to reflect upon the apex of greatness achieved, and the inescapable truth that all good things ultimately find their end.