Lionel Messi dished out over $200,000 on 35 gold iPhones for his Argentina teammates.
And these iPhones aren’t just gold-plated, either: they’re literally made from gold.
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For this idea, the seven-time Ballon d’Or Winner teamed up with iDesign Gold, a company that specializes in customized gold phones.
The new gold iPhone is based on the iPhone 14 Pro, the factory aluminum frame is replaced with 24-carat gold.
The same material was used for the shell and the case, basically turning this into a gold ingot with an internet connection.
Messi wanted a special gift for all the players and staff that helped him win the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which is why each phone is customized.
In addition to the Argentina national football team emblem and the ‘World Cup Champions 2022’, each phone features the player’s name and shirt number.
Over $200,000 is a lot of cash but probably a drop in a bucket for Lionel Messi.
The Argentina star earned over $41 million in 2022 between his PSG salary, endorsement deals and individual prizes.
For nearly 15 years, Messi shared the stage, both literally and metaphorically, with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Widely regarded as two of the best players in history, they both won countless trophies and individual awards.
However, Messi has also won a record seven Ballon d’Or awards, while Ronaldo ‘only’ has five.
And then last winter, winning the World Cup was the cherry on top of the cake for the 35-year-old striker.
It was a momentous event for him and his teammates but also for Argentina as a nation.
More to the point, it was something that
Maybe that’s why Messi decided to spend so much cash on this gold iPhones.
