Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has announced his newest venture. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has announced that he will be making inroads into sports, media and technology.
He will be doing this through his new company, Play Time Sports-Tech HoldCo LLC, based in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, California. Messi made this announcement of his latest efforts to secure his financial future following his retirement on Wednesday.
The former Barcelona man has dazzled the world for almost two decades and is nearing the twilight of his career. He has already announced that Qatar 2022 will be his last World Cup and that means he is even closer to hanging up his boots.
He has previously stated that he is not considering coaching after his career is done. However, his new company will help him remain in football as it is targeted at investing in football teams across the globe. He will also invest in other sports and provide funding for startup founders who want to delve into football tech or media, as well as other technology endeavours.
Expressing his delight at launching his new company, Messi, 35, said: “I am excited to extend our roots into Silicon Valley, and I am thrilled that Play Time will collaborate with daring entrepreneurs from all over the world.”
The 2019 Copa America title-winning captain has brought in some experienced hands to help him with his new venture. Razmig Hovaghimian, who is a partner at Graph Ventures will run the company as its CEO and Michael Marquez, the founding partner of the investment bank Code Advisors LLC, will operate in a special advisor role.
Hovaghimian was brought in especially because he is already Messi’s business partner and understands the PSG forward’s business goals. He is also the co-founder of Matchday.com, a football venture in which Messi’s new company is investing in. Hovaghimian’s company is preparing to be launched before the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup kicks off in November.
Speaking briefly about how he and Messi hit it off as business partners, he said: “From the time I met Leo and the Messi family in 2017, it was clear that their vision for the future is bold.”
Play Time Sports-Tech HoldCo LLC joins The Messi Store (which has global fashion icon Ginny Hilfiger as a director), the MiM hotel chain, the Messi Experience Park and other businesses and brand deals. Play Time Sports-Tech HoldCo LLC, however, will be the primary investment vehicle of Lionel Messi going forward.
