Huawei Reportedly On Verge Of Lucrative Endorsement Deal With Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is expected to soon announce an endorsement deal with Chinese telecom Huawei, according to MARKETING DEPORTIVO. The contract will reportedly be for two to three years, paying Messi €5M ($5.6M) to €6M ($6.7M) annually. Messi would "become an ambassador of a brand that in recent months has made a strong bet on sports in general, and football in particular, to expand its brand and image internationally." The money he would earn from the deal would go directly to Messi himself, as Barcelona "will not have image rights." Huawei "has become the world's third-biggest smartphone manufacturer behind Samsung and Apple." Samsung "would be one of the parties most damaged by the deal," as Messi was one of its endorsers until a few months ago. One of Huawei's current ambassadors is Colombian James Rodríguez of Real Madrid (MARKETING DEPORTIVO, 3/14).