Football star Lionel Messi has visited Azerbaijan to attend a charity event.
Alongside the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, his former teammates from Barcelona and now at Inter Miami, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, also visited Baku, Idman.biz reports.
Sergio Busquets, one of these players, visited Azerbaijan in 2009. He played in the second half of the friendly match where Spain defeated the Azerbaijani national team 6-0. At that time, Busquets was just 20 years old and playing his second match for the national team.
Over the years, many star footballers have visited Azerbaijan for various tournaments, including matches involving the Azerbaijani national team, encounters with Qarabag in European competitions, games held during Euro 2020 in Baku, and the 2019 Europa League final.
For example, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo played in Portugal's 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in 2007. This match marked his 50th appearance for the national team.
Luka Modrić, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, also visited Baku with Croatia’s national team in 2015 (0-0) and 2019 (1-1).
Some famous players have come to Azerbaijan for various events or personal invitations. In 2012, French footballer Jean-Pierre Papin, the 1991 Ballon d'Or winner, attended the signing ceremony between the Professional Football League and the new title sponsor of the Azerbaijan Premier League.
Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimović visited Azerbaijan in 2015 for rest and hunting purposes.
In 2016, Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit, winner of the 1987 Ballon d'Or and Euro 1988, was a special guest at the presentation ceremony for the Euro 2020 logo in Baku.
In 2019, as part of the events surrounding the Europa League final in Baku, a match called "Baku 2019: Star Final" was organized, featuring players such as Jerzy Dudek, Michael Essien, Deco, Hamit Altıntop, Nihat Kahveci, Andrey Arshavin, and Revaz Arveladze.
Other notable visitors include Michael Owen, the 2001 Ballon d'Or winner from England, and Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, who visited Baku for the Fan Festival held before the 2019 Europa League final.
This year, several celebrities have also visited Azerbaijan. World Cup champion Mesut Özil participated in various events in October.
In November, legendary footballer Ronaldinho arrived in Baku for COP29. It's worth noting that the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner had first visited Azerbaijan eight years ago.
Fatih Terim, former captain and head coach of the Turkish national team, also visited Azerbaijan as a guest of Qarabag FC to participate in an event about the joint alliance of football clubs in the fight against climate change, organized during COP29.
Idman.biz
