The new range includes a Syrah and a Primitivo, which were created in partnership with Switzerland-based MM Winemaker. These limited-edition wines are on sale for €60 (£50) per bottle at the MM Winemaker site. Messi is often referred to as the GOAT (greatest of all time) after breaking all manner of records throughout his glittering career.
The 37-year-old forward has won the World Cup, two Copa América titles, four Champions League titles, 10 La Liga titles, two Ligue 1 titles and all manner of cup competitions.
He has also won the Ballon d’Or, the annual award given to the world’s best player, a record eight times.
Some football fans would argue that Pelé, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo Nazário, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane or perhaps Johan Cruyff would be more deserving of the GOAT tag, but most pundits agree that Messi is the greatest ever to play the game.
Messi, who has worn the number 10 on the back of his shirt throughout his career, announced the limited-edition GOAT 10 wines on Instagram. He referred to them as ‘two premium wines with collectible bottles that you simply cannot miss’.
This is not his first foray into the winemaking world. Messi previously teamed up with MM Winemaker to launch the Lionel Collections, which included Pinot Grigio, Nero d’Avola, Grillo, Chardonnay, Primitivo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
MM Winemaker, which has close ties to Italy, said the collection ‘pays tribute to a true legend and combines exceptional quality with our rich winemaking heritage’.
Former Barcelona teammate Andrés Iniesta also spearheads his family’s winery in Spain, which is called Bodega Iniesta. David Silva, Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos, Andrea Barzagli and Franz Beckenbauer are just some of the other football stars with their own wine brands.
