Under the title "Messi to Receive Part of His Salary at Paris Saint-Germain in Cryptocurrencies," the Arabic website reported that after signing to play with Paris Saint-Germain, football star Lionel Messi will receive part of his salary in cryptocurrencies. Messi signed a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain this week, with a third option, which will provide him with an annual salary of $41 million, in addition to bonuses and $30 million in registration fees.
Paris Saint-Germain announced today that Messi's "welcome package" includes a cryptocurrency called "PSG Fan Tokens." This development has sparked an increase in the cryptocurrencies issued by PSG, which were first made available to fans over a year ago. The $PSG token, created in January 2020 with the cryptocurrency platform Socios.com, is designed to help PSG build a new community of fans.
PSG's decision to pay the 34-year-old Argentine legend with cryptocurrency positions it as one of the "most innovative and leading brands in sports worldwide." PSG's Chief Partnerships Officer, Marc Armstrong, stated that the adoption of Socios.com and $PSG Fan Tokens has enabled the club to engage with a new global audience and created a significant digital revenue stream.
Meanwhile, Manchester City launched its fan token in March using the same technology. PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi told reporters on Wednesday that the world "will be shocked" by the financial revenues resulting from the club's contract with the global football star. The signing is expected to generate unexpected commercial revenue gains through avenues such as merchandise sales. When Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Italian giant Juventus in 2018, his jerseys sold for $60 million within just 24 hours.
Messi has won the FIFA Best Player award and the European Golden Shoe for top scorers six times each, and he left Barcelona after two decades with the Catalan club, where he contributed 672 goals in all competitions and won 34 titles.
