Getty/David Ramos
- Soccer superstar Lionel Messi will be paid partly in crypto fan tokens by his new team Paris St-Germain, Reuters reported Thursday.
- The Argentine player's transfer package for joining the French club includes up to an estimated $30 million a season.
- Paris St Germain has its own fan token, PSG, in partnership with Socios, a growing football token issuer.
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Soccer superstar Lionel Messi's financial package for joining Paris St Germain will include payment in crypto fan tokens, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
The French football team has its own PSG tokens, created in partnership with Socios, a growing issuer of sport club crypto tokens.
Messi joined Paris St Germain on Tuesday, under a two-year deal estimated to be worth up to $35 million a season, believed to be one of the biggest soccer signings ever.
The Argentine, one of the greatest soccer players of all time, left Barcelona in a shock move after the team was unable to renew his contract due to financial constraints. He played professionally for the Spanish club for more than 20 years, after joining aged 13.
The PSG token currently has a market cap of about $50.7 million, after falling 14.16% in the last 24 hours, according to Coinmarketcap.. Its price has dropped 7.91% to $40.74.
Socios' tokens enable a sports team's supporters to vote on specific club decisions, as well as providing rewards and experiences. They are part of the emerging community token movement that is establishing another way for football clubs, stars and influencers to make profit.
Paris St Germain did not respond to a request by Insider for comment.