Lionel Messi has launched his NFTs titled Messiverse

Lionel Messi, a renowned football superstar, has joined the non-fungible tokens (NFT) bandwagon with the release of "Messiverse." The initiative was established in collaboration with Ethernity, a blockchain platform that allows users to acquire legally authorized NFTs.

BossLogic, an Australia-based digital designer renowned for his collaborations with Marvel and Disney, will create a series of crypto artworks for Messiverse. The compilation is a set of artworks highlighting successes, experiences, team affection, and future achievements, according to a Medium article by Ethernity.

The four works depict Messi in extraterrestrial space, in an AI-driven prosthetic avatar both in the future and in the past, as the King of creative football fame, and a piece celebrating his epic Copa America triumph that is yet to be unveiled.

“The Golden One” is the title of the inaugural NFT, which presents Messi as the golden standard, based on his fame. “Man from Tomorrow” and “Man of the Past”, the second NFT, feature Messi in an AI prosthetic avatar with his new number 30 and old number 10 respectively.

“We have tracked his history, we are with him now, and I am confident we will see him in the virtual football leagues of tomorrow when the world is mirrored by AI”, BossLogic said in the article.

Messi collaborated with Ethernity Chain to build a futuristic AI-driven prosthetic resemblance of his 34-year-old persona for this line, dubbed “The Messiverse x BossLogic” accomplishments, milestones, and goals for the future.

“The goal of our partnership with Lionel and BossLogic was to bring the physical and digital worlds together”, CEO of Ethernity, Nick Rose, stated. “Enabling fans all around the globe to interact with a highly sought-after collection from one of the world's best football players”.

With poker superstar Phil Ivey, ice hockey legend Alex Ovechkin, and American artist Nas among its former partners, Ethernity is recognized for manufacturing unique NFTs and collectible products.

The third NFT, dubbed “The King Piece”, pays homage to the days when kings ruled over countries. According to BossLogic, Messi would have been the greatest player in the game at the time. While the fourth NFT's title is yet to be disclosed, it pays respect to Argentina's victory over Brazil in the Copa America final. This was the country’s first triumph in decades, as well as Messi's first big international championship title.

“I wanted them to be modest yet striking inside the looped parts. Participating in the NFT sector has been an incredible experience, allowing me to try new things and interact with individuals I never imagined I would meet”, BossLogic added.

Messi will be paid in cryptocurrency fan tokens given by Socios.com in addition to the NFT as part of his recent transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. Messi earned "a substantial amount" of fan tokens, as per ESPN, although PSG did not disclose what proportion of the transaction the tokens made up. The overall financial package was kept under wraps by the club.

Since last year, there has been a tremendous increase in interest in NFTs. Arsenal Football Club joined the fray only last month, collaborating with Chiliz, a blockchain provider for the sports and entertainment industries, to launch the club's $AFC Fan Token on Chiliz's Socios.com mobile app.

The collaboration reflects Arsenal's desire to create a more engaging fan experience for its global following, as Socios.com would become a digital gathering place for the club's international fans. Likewise, Warner Bros., Coca-Cola, and Budweiser are among the major brands that have introduced NFTs this year.

Messi's four-piece collection will be released on Saturday and will be available for a limited time, with an additional item to be unveiled on launch day.

"Football is like artwork; it never goes out of style," Messi stated in a press release. The “Messiverse” collection will be available for purchase on the Ethernity Chain platform, which is recognized for manufacturing unique NFT items for sports stars.