Lionel Messi's Argentina Signs World Cup Sponsorship Deal with Prediction Market Firm Kalshi

Days before the Lionel messi-led Argentina begin their FIFA World Cup title defence, the Argentine Football Association has entered into a partnership with prediction market company Kalshi.

After announcing that it had become an official sponsor of the AFA for the World Cup, the company unveiled a promotional with Messi featuring prominently in the campaign.


"Argentina is the standard of excellence in world football. That's exactly who Kalshi belongs alongside," said Adam Barrick, Kalshi's head of sports partnerships.

"We're building the future of how people engage with live events, and partnering with the reigning champions of the beautiful game is the clearest signal we can send about where we're headed."

Kalshi is a US regulated prediction market exchange that allows users to trade contracts based on the outcomes of real-world events, including sports, politics and economic indicators.

The AFA said the agreement reflected the growing commercial power of Argentina's brand, which has soared since winning the 2022 World Cup driven by Messi's popularity.

"Kalshi is a leader in its category, and their decision to partner with AFA is a testament to the global strength our brand has built since 2017," said AFA chief commercial and marketing officer Leandro Petersen.

"Each new alliance of this calibre reinforces that the path we charted for AFA's international expansion is the right one, and that the world's leading organisations want to be part of it."