Drug lords, including Pablo Escobar, are known to fund local soccer teams in Latin America, writes Kevin Seeff. The Washington PostIt's a smart move in some ways: football is not only “a bedrock of power and politics,” but also an easy means of laundering money. But Seeff's remarkable two-part series focuses on a drug lord who went a step further: He didn't just buy or sponsor professional teams, he joined them as a player. Seeff introduces us to Sebastien Marset, a 33-year-old Uruguayan who has become South America's top trafficker in recent years and a major supplier of cocaine to the Western world. But then the shock hits: “Instead of hiding from the authorities, he used his fortune to buy and sponsor soccer teams across Latin America and Europe.”
The article details how Marset played for various teams under false names. He paid $10,000 to wear the number 10 shirt of Pele, Maradona and Messi, and gave wads of cash to teammates as bonuses for wins. Perhaps the most amusing thing is that Marset is not a great player. He is “mediocre,” Seeff writes, with “the skills of someone whose career peaked in high school.” In fact, the story begins in 2021 with Marset missing a crucial penalty for Paraguay's Deportivo Capiata team. His time as a player with that team ended in typical fashion. Apparently the authorities were after him, Marset tipped him off, and he fled before he could be arrested. If this hiding strategy seems unrealistic, know that Marset remains at large to this day. Read Part 1 and Part 2 of the series. (Or read other long-form summaries.)
