More News from the World Cup of Contracts

The New York Times provides two separate stories that those inclined towards conspiratorial thinking might think are linked.  First, Adam Crafton reports in the Times curated collection of longish-form sports journalism, The Athletic, that Lionel Messi signed a "lucrative deal" to promote Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2030 edition of the World Cup.  

In the same paper, Rory Smith reports on Saudi Arabia's shocking upset of Argentina, lead by their star -- you guessed it -- Lionel Messi in the team's first match in the 2022 World Cup.  As Rory Smith puts it,

Messi, a being seemingly hewn from pure, uncut poise, seemed afflicted, rushing his passes, missing his beats, fading from the game as the clock ticked rather than bending it to his will. 

All is not lost, Argentina.  The team just has to prevail over Mexico and Poland, and it can still emerge from its group.  But people will be left to wonder: is contractual obligation the one thing that can overcome Messi's competitive drive?