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10 ways soccer and organized crime mix in Latin America

Soccer has long been a unifying force in Latin America. But 'the beautiful game' has attracted some of the most infamous drug kingpins in the region, something that's corrupted players, officials, and even whole clubs.

3. Players start 'charities': Messi and Colombian cartels

In December 2013, Spanish newspaper El Mundo made waves by reporting that Jorge Messi, the father and financial agent of Argentine soccer star Leonel Messi, was under investigation for allegedly laundering drug money in Colombia.

The charges stemmed from Mr. Messi senior's role in managing ticket sales for an international charity "Messi and Friends" tour, in which the player appeared at a number of cities around the hemisphere ostensibly to raise money for charitable foundations that later claimed they did not receive any donations from the tour. The reports stated Jorge Messi was suspected of participating in a money laundering scam selling "Row Zero" tickets that would never be used, taking a 10-20 percent cut for his trouble.

While the story made headlines around the world, the subsequent clarification by Spanish police that Messi was not directly implicated in the investigation received far less attention.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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