Lionel Messi, one of the biggest soccer players of our generation, recently announced that he will be taking part in an NFT game “Sorare.”
The new Metaverse venture is a football fantasy game in which participants use digital player cards to purchase, sell, trade, and manage a virtual club.
The Argentinean star is said to serve as an ambassador for the card trading game. The addition of such a high-profile public is expected to help Sorare raise its player-base, and also open up the doors for the mainstream public.
Messi is one of the most famous celebrity athletes currently competing today. The seven-time Ballon D’or winner has over 370 million Instagram followers. He is also regarded by analysts as one of the best to ever compete in the sport.
Investment in Sorare
Aside from being a poster boy for the NFT game, Messi also invested in the company. A Sorare spokesperson revealed that the Argentinean bought part of Sorare’s shares, without going into financial detail.
“We believe Messi will help us set new standards in how we do this,” Sorare’s SEO Nicola Julia said in a statement. “And we look forward to sharing what new content and fan experiences we’ve been collaborating on soon.”
Messi’s partnership is a watershed moment for the brand. Also, the timing of this collaboration couldn’t be better. Lionel is about to compete in the world’s biggest stage for sports — the FIFA World Cup.
The football superstar will attempt to win the only major championship left to win in his illustrious career.
And this year, Messi’s Argentina is regarded as one of the runner-ups that are likely to win the prestigious competition.
Lionel Messi Has a History In Crypto
Lionel is not unfamiliar with using his brand recognition to invest in digital assets.
In fact, when he signed a contract with his current club, Paris Saint-German. In August 2021, he was one of the first players to have a portion of his contract paid in cryptocurrencies.
As a PSG player, Messi agreed to earn a portion of his $30 million contract payout in $PSG, the club’s native digital currency.
Messi also signed a deal with Bitget, a cryptocurrency exchange in October. At the time, the goal of the partnership was to give fans a “unique opportunity to explore Web 3.0 and the potential of trading crypto on the exchange.”
The athlete’s connections with crypto companies date back to 2017 when he collaborated with Sirin Labs, a company that promoted the development of a secure blockchain-based phone.
