Soccer Superstar Messi Becomes Official Investor and Brand Ambassador of Sorare
Soccer star Lionel Messi has become an official investor and brand ambassador of the French non-fungible tokens (NFTs) trading platform Sorare.
The Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is set to participate in the fantasy NFT collectible soccer game Sorare as an investor and brand ambassador, the company announced in a statement made on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi, who plays as a forward for the French club Paris Saint-Germain, has taken an equity share in the company. The two parties will work together on new content and fan experiences, the company said, adding that he will help Sorare set new standards in how fans connect with clubs and players.
Nicolas Julia, Sorare’s CEO and co-founder, said the partnership with Messi marked a “huge milestone” for the company. “We believe Messi will help us set new standards in how we do this, and we look forward to sharing what new content and fan experiences we’ve been collaborating on soon,” he said.
The move comes as other star athletes such as fellow PSG footballer Kylian Mbappe and tennis legend Serena Williams have joined Sorare. Mbappe also joined Sorare as a brand ambassador and investor, while Serena Williams joined the platform as a board advisor.
Sorare allows users to collect and exchange NFT player cards as they look to build and manage the best team of five players to participate in fantasy soccer tournaments.
The company claims that the use of collectible NFTs, which keep records of ownership on the blockchain, means that the virtual cards, which bear the likenesses of real players and their abilities, automatically creates “digital scarcity”, thereby encouraging trade.
The Paris-based startup, which was last valued at $4.3 billion, has more than 2 million users in over 185 countries and is partnered with over 300 sports teams and leagues including Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga. It has expanded beyond its core focus on soccer recently into other sports, including basketball and baseball.
Messi’s Web3 Involvement on The Rise
In March, Messi signed a $20 million, three-year partnership deal to promote the digital fan token platform, Socios, and become its global brand ambassador.
Messi was given an unspecified amount of the club’s fan tokens as part of his salary contract, thus having a connection between the legend and PSG fans around the world.
And more recently, Messi was named an ambassador for Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange brand Bitget.
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