Lionel Messi turned 39 on June 24, 2026, surrounded by teammates at Argentina’s World Cup training camp. Rodrigo De Paul and the rest of the squad marked the occasion during what looked like any other preparation session.
No new tokens were launched. No NFT drops materialized. No partnership announcements were made. And yet the mere gravitational pull of Messi’s name, combined with World Cup proximity, is enough to send ripples through the fan token market.
The Messi effect on fan tokens
Here’s the thing about Messi and crypto: the two have been intertwined since his reported deal with Socios.com, valued at over $20 million. That partnership made him one of the most prominent ambassadors for digital fan tokens, the blockchain-based assets that give holders voting rights on minor club decisions and access to exclusive merchandise.
The Argentina national team fan token, $ARG, trades on the Chiliz blockchain. It’s one of the more actively traded fan tokens in the ecosystem, and historically, its trading volume has a habit of spiking whenever Messi enters the spotlight.
