Lionel Messi is 39 years old, playing in his final World Cup, and still somehow in the semifinals. He admitted the run has not been easy, telling reporters that sustaining elite performance after winning it all in 2022 has been genuinely difficult, and that nobody should have expected Argentina to reach this stage.
The Messi-crypto connection is more direct than you might think
In March 2022, he signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Socios.com worth over $20 million, making him one of the most prominent faces of the fan token ecosystem.
Socios runs on the Chiliz blockchain and lets fans buy tokens that represent their club or national team.
The Argentina national team fan token, ticker $ARG, has tracked Messi’s performances with uncomfortable precision during this tournament. Trading volumes for $ARG surged 12.4% in direct response to Messi-led matches during the 2026 World Cup, which is co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
