Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos arrived in Egypt on Wednesday to promote tourism to the country, state-owned MENA news agency reported.

Carlos arrived from Germany to participate in a state-sponsored tourism campaign in Egypt as well as play a charity football match, according to sources at Cairo International Airport.

The 44-year-old former Real Madrid star's visit comes a few weeks after fellow Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho visited Egypt to launch his humanitarian organisation, the Ronaldinho Foundation, in cooperation with Prime Pharma drug company, and to promote Egypt's Tour n’ Cure medical tourism campaign.

In February, Barcelona star Lionel Messi visited Egypt for one day to promote Tour n’ Cure.

Egypt has been working to attract international celebrities in recent months to support its tourism sector, which has suffered in the wake of the political turmoil of recent years.

In March, Hollywood star Will Smith paid a visit to the Giza Plateau with his family, where they met with prominent archaeologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass for a tour around the Sphinx and inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu.