Lionel Messi is back in training with Argentina’s national team, gearing up for what will be his sixth FIFA World Cup appearance in 2026.

At 38 years old, Messi isn’t just preparing for another tournament. He’s activating a chain of financial speculation that stretches from Buenos Aires to blockchain networks, touching fan tokens, platform partnerships, and the wallets of retail investors who’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, that betting on sentiment is a volatile game.

The fan token effect

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, $ARG dropped approximately 20% after Argentina’s shocking group-stage loss to Saudi Arabia.

National team fan tokens linked to Argentina have already gained value as 2026 kicked off, with increases reported in January. Fan tokens tend to appreciate in the lead-up to major tournaments as excitement builds, then swing wildly based on actual match results.

Messi’s deep crypto ties

His promotional deal with Socios.com in 2022 was worth over $20 million. Socios is the platform that powers most major fan tokens, including those for football clubs like PSG, Barcelona, and national teams.

Beyond fan tokens, Messi has also been associated with Bitget, the crypto exchange. Messi has previously promoted Solana-based memecoins, including a token called WATER, through his Instagram account. He was also involved in NFT collections, notably ‘Messiverse’ on the Ethernity platform during 2021 and 2022.

What this means for investors

For investors watching $ARG and similar fan tokens, the playbook from 2022 is instructive. Tokens surged in the buildup, crashed on unexpected results, and recovered as Argentina ultimately won the tournament. The 20% decline after the Saudi Arabia loss was a stark reminder that these assets don’t follow conventional market logic. They follow the scoreboard.

One thing is worth watching closely: whether Messi uses his social media presence to promote any new crypto ventures during the tournament. His Instagram reach is enormous, and previous posts about tokens like WATER have demonstrated his ability to move markets with a single story.