Congolese Sports Minister: We invest in Barcelona to find Congolese Messi

August 2: On July 30, Barcelona officially announced a sponsorship agreement with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To increase revenue and improve the club's financial situation and pave the way for a 1:1 rule (to facilitate player registration), Barcelona has formed an alliance with a new "sponsor" that will bring it more than 10 million euros in revenue each season.

Congolese Sports Minister Didier Puddingbu expressed his opinion in an interview: "The main purpose is training and development. The jersey advertisement is just a supplement. If we find Messi among these 50 Congolese young people who are about to join Barcelona, what would you say?"

"Investing in Barcelona is to find Congolese Messi. Four training camps are held in Spain every year, with 50 young Congolese players participating, with the goal of cultivating talents."

However, Congo has suffered a lot of criticism after signing multiple sponsorship agreements with a total price of 90 million euros. Puddingbu said: "US$10 million can only be built with 4 or 5 kilometers of roads. Do we want to give up training players because of this? Major powers such as Côte d'Ivoire or Rwanda are doing this. Why can't we Congo?"

"The Republic of Congo will get a VIP area at the Camp Nou Stadium for special events, as well as an 80-square-meter exhibition hall to promote its tourist destinations and products. We also have the right to organize a game in Camp Nou every year."