Polkadot’s logo to feature on Lionel Messi’s jersey with Inter Miami partnership

Blockchain network Polkadot will now feature its logo on the football icon Lionel Messi’s training kit as part of a partnership with United States-based football club Inter Miami.

According to a press release shared with crypto.news, Inter Miami players, including football stars such as FC Barcelona legends Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, will wear training kits featuring the Polkadot logo as part of the club’s new partnership with the blockchain platform, now its global training partner.

The logo will be featured on the front and back of the training tops for players and technical staff, which will be worn during training sessions and pre-match warmups. Inter Miami fans worldwide will be able to see the new kits for the first time on Aug. 31 before an away match with Chicago Fire FC.

Further, as a main partner, Polkadot’s branding will also be featured in signage across the Chase Statium, the football club’s home ground. Polkadot will also engage the club’s fanbase via interactive fan zone activities as a part of the deal.

Chrissy Hill, CLO & interim COO of Parity Technologies, the blockchain infrastructure firm behind Polkadot, said the project’s sponsorship of Inter Miami aligns with its commitment to the future of entertainment.

Introduced in 2020, Polkadot is a sharded multi-chain network co-founded by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood. The project aims to connect multiple blockchains via its central Relay Chain, which ensures shared security and consensus. This design allows independent blockchain networks, known as parachains—customizable blockchains with their own specific features and functionalities—to operate in parallel and communicate with each other, enhancing interoperability and scalability across the entire network.

The recent partnership follows Polkadot’s sponsorship deals with Indy 500 driver Conor Daly and gaming company Mythical.

Polkadot uses a decentralized governance model where the community votes on how treasury funds are allocated, including marketing expenditures and sponsorship deals. While the amount spent on the recent sponsorship remains undisclosed, the arrangement aligns with the network’s past marketing initiatives.

Earlier this year, the crypto community criticized Polkadot’s marketing practices after the project’s H1 2024 report disclosed spending roughly $37 million in the first half of 2024 on marketing rather than crucial ecosystem-building initiatives.