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PSG Used Cryptocurrency To Help Sign Lionel Messi

PSG Used Cryptocurrency To Help Sign Lionel Messi

Messi moved to PSG for no transfer fee but the move was partially funded by a large amount of cryptocurrency added to his fees.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Lionel Messi's move to PSG was made possible by the club using their own cryptocurrency to help boost the player's wages.

Signing Messi has been incredibly straightforward for PSG, after months of Barcelona making a complete hash of signing him to a new deal before dramatically failing.

It took less than a week from the announcement that the 34-year-old would be leaving the Nou Camp until the Ligue 1 side made it official and the new signing was saying hello to the club's fans.

Messi will earn a whopping €35 million-a-season, or €481,000-a-week, and €0.80-a-second, but his wages are also being boosted by cryptocurrency.

The club confirmed that the six time Ballon d'Or winner has received a portfolio of '$PSG fan tokens,' which is the clubs crypto powered by $Chiliz cryptocurrency, in a partnership with socios.com.

Messi with his new kit. Image: PA Images
Messi with his new kit. Image: PA Images

The tokens have their own value which fluctuates like any cryptocurrency and it's expected that the value will only rise with the signing of Messi.

Fans who buy the tokens are able to have their say on the club, including voting on Player of the Season awards and making changes to the team dressing room.

Mainly though, it is a helpful way for the club to make money and the fans can also make money by selling their vouchers at a higher price.

In a statement the chief partnerships officer at French side, Marc Armstrong, confirmed the new signing had been given some of the tokens as part of the deal.

Al-Khelaifi has said the club can afford Messi even with FFP. Image: PA Images
Al-Khelaifi has said the club can afford Messi even with FFP. Image: PA Images

"[We are] Fully embracing Socios.com and $PSG Fan Tokens has proved a massive success for the club," Armstrong said.

"We have been able to engage with a new global audience, creating a significant digital revenue stream."

There has been lots of talk about the club's finances and how they can afford to sign the 11 time La Liga champion whilst still having Neymar and Kylian Mbappe's wages on their books.

PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi denied claims that they'd done anything against the Financial Fair Play rules, during Messi's presentation press conference earlier in the week.

"Regarding the financial aspect, I will make it clear - we know the rules of FFP and we will always follow the regulations.

"Before we do anything, we check with commercial, financial and legal people. We have the capacity.

"If we sign Leo, it's because we can, otherwise we would not have done it.

'"What Leo brings to the club is huge, which you can see just outside [the stadium] he is a big asset.

"I hope Leo will not ask for a raise of salary, but what we have is fantastic."

If Messi does want a raise in salary any time in the near future perhaps the club can just give him more tokens.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football, Ligue 1, PSG, Lionel Messi, Transfer gossip