HIGHLIGHTS
* Lionel Messi has reportedly bought a total of 35 iPhones for his team.
* These are said to be custom iPhones with 24k gold and names and jersey numbers of all members and support staff of the World Cup-winning squad.
* The iPhones’ combined worth is EUR 1,75,000 which roughly amounts to Rs 1.73 crore.
* Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 by defeating France in Qatar.
Football icon Lionel Messi has apparently ordered 35 iPhones worth Rs 1.73 for the members and teammates of his World Cup-winning squad.
For the unaware, Messi and Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 against the reigning champion France on penalties.
Per a report, these are not regular iPhones. Designed by iDesign, the handsets are adorned with 24-karat gold.
The devices are also engraved with each player’s name, jersey, and Argentinian logo.
Lionel Messi’s Gift to the Team
As per a report in The Sun, the special gold devices have each player’s names, jersey numbers and the Argentinian logo engraved on them. The report also states that Messi had the phones delivered to his apartment over the weekend.
Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 by defeating France and this was Messi’s first world cup trophy.
The publication’s source told them that Messi had intended to do something ‘special and blingy’ to celebrate the moment. “He got in touch with entrepreneur Ben Lyons and they came up with the design together,” the publication’s source added.
CEO of iDesign Gold, Ben, was also quoted as saying, “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.
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.”
It was a crazy year for me. I could fulfil my (World Cup) dream after fighting for it for so long. And in the end it happened, and it was the most beautiful thing of my career,” said Messi after winning FIFA Best award recently.
Messi’s 24k Gold iPhones
As per a report by The Sun, PSG member and FIFA World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi in Paris ordered 35 custom iPhones with custom engraving for each of the members of the Argentina National Football team, with their names and jersey numbers. These iPhones are said to have a casing made from 24K gold.
While the report does not reveal the iPhone model gifted, the triple rear camera setup in the image suggests it could be the iPhone Pro.
According to the report, the purchase cost him a total of EUR 175,000 or roughly Rs 1.53 crores, which is a miniscule amount for the footballer who is reported to have upwards of $100 million (Rs 820 crores approx) in wealth.
The unique gift of gold-studded iPhones was a result of a discussion between Lionel Messi and the CEO of iDesign Gold, Ben Lyons.
According to the report, Messi got in touch with the company right after the World Cup final, wanting to do something special and lasting for his team.
However, the decision to not go for usual designer watches or accessories made iDesign Gold opt for this uber-luxurious and custom gift.
Last year, Lionel Messi became the first man in the history of football two win the Golden Ball award twice. The seven-time Ballon d’Or-winner had claimed his first Golden Ball award in 2014.
Messi became just the second Argentine footballer to receive the award, after Diego Maradona in 1986.
Messi recorded seven goals and three assists at the Qatar World Cup as Argentina won their third title.
In the summit clash, the former Barcelona striker scored a brace against the 2018 FIFA World Cup winners France. He had also converted a penalty in the shootout against Les Bleus in the finals.
A stellar performance in 2022 also helped Lionel Messi in winning the Best FIFA Men’s Player award of the year last week. Messi got the better of Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to clinch the prestigious individual award.
To recall, Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar just last year. The win came through a penalty shootout that took Messi’s team to the finish line after a scintillating final between Argentina and France.
During the entirety of the World Cup, Messi scored a total of 7 goals, to conclude his World Cup outings.
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.
iPhone 15 Design Leaks
All eyes are now on the iPhone 15, which is expected to launch in September this year. CAD renders leaked ahead of the launch suggest that the entire iPhone 15 lineup will be featuring the dynamic island notch design.
Currently, only the iPhone 14 Pro models have this design and the base iPhone 14 has kept the standard notch design.
iPhone 15 is also rumoured to have type C USB charging port and a 48-megapixel wide camera that is a part of the iPhone 14 Pro models.
FAQ’s on Lionel Messi
1) Who will be the players receiving the customized iPhone from Messi?
Ans) 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, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Angel Correa, Julian Alvarez, Thiago Almada, Alejandro Gomez.
The aforementioned players as well as the support staff including Lionel Scaloni, who was voted the Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2022 on February 27, will also receive the shiny device.
2) What is Lionel Messi’s gift to the team?
Ans) As per a report in The Sun, the special gold devices have each player’s names, jersey numbers and the Argentinian logo engraved on them. The report also states that Messi had the phones delivered to his apartment over the weekend.
Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 by defeating France and this was Messi’s first world cup trophy.
The publication’s source told them that Messi had intended to do something ‘special and blingy’ to celebrate the moment. “He got in touch with entrepreneur Ben Lyons and they came up with the design together,” the publication’s source added.
CEO of iDesign Gold, Ben, was also quoted as saying, “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.
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.”
3) Everything about the gold iPhones Messi is gifting ?
Ans) The gold iPhone that Messi got for each team member and support staff is the iPhone 14. iDesign Gold’s official Instagram handle posted a picture of Messi receiving the iPhones as well as the design of the phone.
The caption of the post read, “It was an honour to deliver 35 gold iphone 14 to @leomessi for his team mates & staff as a gift for winning the world cup final.”
iDesign Gold is a company that offers personalised luxury smartphone devices such as gold iPhones, iPhone cases, and so on.
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