Lionel Messi gifts gold iPhones to Argentina team and staff following World Cup win

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :March 2, 2023 at 8:33 PM

Modified at :March 2, 2023 at 8:33 PM

The Argentine superstar recently won the FIFA Men's Best award

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has given the 2022 FIFA World Cup winning team and staff 35 gold-plated iPhone 14s as a way of immortalising the triumph that his countrymen brought home after a 36-year absence since Maradona '86.

Each 24-carat gold iPhone in Messi's £175,000 (Rs 1.73 crore) present order, which was delivered to his Paris flat on Saturday, has the names, numbers, and Argentina insignia inscribed on each one of the players.

Argentina’s world cup winning squad– Emi Martinez, Franco Armani, Geronimo Rulli, Marcos Acuna, Juan Foyth, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, German Pezzella, Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Exequiel Palacios, Guido Rodriguez, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Angel Correa, Julian Alvarez, Thiago Almada, Alejandro Gomez

The two-time Golden Ball winner wished to honour his group's historic triumph in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup and thought of giving them an iPhone carved in gold.

He then contacted Ben Lyons, the CEO of the company IDESIGN Gold which offers smartphone customization.

“Lionel is not only the Goat but he’s one of IDESIGN GOLD’s most loyal customers and got in touch with us a couple of months after the World Cup final,” Lyons said, explaining further how the two finalised the glittery Apple order.

“He said he wanted a special gift for all the players and staff to celebrate the amazing win. But didn’t want the usual gift of watches. “So, I suggested gold iPhones inscribed with their names and he loved the idea.”

Several of the football star's admirers have been captivated by images of the magnificent Messi present that have since surfaced online.

Following his World Cup accomplishments, the 35-year-old defeated Mbappe and Benzema to take home the FIFA Best Player title on Monday.

Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.