Lionel Messi is the second global superstar after Giannis Antetokounmpo to join the popular prediction market service Kalshi. Messi posted an ad for the company on Instagram on Sunday morning, where he was seen sitting on a sofa with Argentina national team teammates Rodrigo de Paul and Nicolas Otamendi. This post was followed by a press release published on Sunday morning stating that Kalshi is set to announce a partnership with the Argentina Football Association for the 2026 World Cup. "Kalshi will be an official sponsor of the AFA for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The collaboration will include co-branded activations, integrated social media campaigns and marketing use of AFA's intellectual property such as Argentina's traditional blue-and-white crest," the press release said. Messi and Argentina will begin their 2026 World Cup title defense campaign against Algeria The match will be played in Kansas City, Missouri. Messi, who scored 7 goals in the 2022 World Cup, played a key role in Argentina's title win, and is a candidate to win the 2026 World Player of the Year award for the 8th time. Kalshi is a prediction market, where users can trade on the outcome of various sporting events. As it is a prediction market and not a sportsbook, it is currently legal in all 50 US states. However, Minnesota governor Tim Walz recently signed a law expressly banning prediction markets. As a result of the collaboration with Argentina, Kalshi will have the opportunity to trade with the results of Argentina's matches. "Genius Sports, AFA's official data and streaming partner, will provide official sports data to Kalshi to facilitate the creation and settlement of the respective sports prediction market contracts," the press release said. In the past one year, Kalshi has signed several important deals in the sports world. Two-time NBA player of the year Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks champion Marshawn Lynch signed contracts with the company through 2023. Also, some other famous athletes have joined the company as investors or partners.
