Four-time world player of the year, Lionel Messi has been alleged to have pocketed £2.4m to perform the foundation laying ceremony of the new stadium in  Port -Gentil.

Port-Gentil , is Gabon’s second biggest city and would be venue for matches during the  2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon.
According to Daily Mail of London, Messi is under fire for receiving at least   £2.4m  for  his role in last weekend’s visit to Gabon.
In April 2015,  Gabon beat rivals Algeria and Ghana in the bid to host the 2017 African Cup of Nations after war-torn Libya withdrew as hosts for the tournament.
The 28-year-old football superstar caused outrage at the weekend when he arrived in Gabon, the former French colony, as a guest of president Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Wearing Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt, and showing off his new tattoos, Messi was officially layed the foundation stones for a new stadium in the city of Port-Gentil.
But the Barcelona and Argentina striker, who is facing trial for tax fraud in Spain, also helped with the opening of a new Bongo family restaurant, and showed full support for their regime.
‘People are outraged about this,’ said an opposition source in the country, which is regularly linked with corruption and human rights abuses. ‘Messi should do a bit of research into what Bongo represents.’
French media reported that Messi was paid the equivalent of £2.4m for the trip, which he took with his former Barcelona team-mate Deco.
A report in France Football reads: ‘The little African trip should bring in around 3.5 million euros. Not bad!’
However Bongo attempted to explain Messi’s appearance. He said: ‘When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville.
‘It’s a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word.’
It will be the second time that the country will stage the tournament after co-hosting the 2012 edition with neighbours Equatorial Guinea.
Gabon will use four venues for the 16-team tournament, set for January 2017.
They will be Libreville and Franceville, which were used in 2012, plus Port Gentil and Oyem where the stadiums will be ready in 14 months, Gabon Football Federation officials said.