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Lionel Messi announced his retirement from Argentina’s national team this week, sunsetting one of international football’s greatest careers. Without his cleats on, he’s already deep into another pitch: running a venture capital fund, according to Wired.
Messi launched Play Time HoldCo back in October 2022 with entrepreneur Razmig Hovaghimian, founder of the video-streaming platform Viki. The fund initially targeted around $200 million and has since built a portfolio that looks a lot like a Silicon Valley VC firm’s. It has stakes in AI companies like World Labs and Field AI, alongside investments in Fish Audio, Perceptron, Intangible and SuperAnnotate.
Messi also holds equity in the fantasy football platform Sorare, joined the ownership group of KRÜ Esports alongside former teammate Sergio Agüero, and picked up an ownership stake as part of his 2023 move to Inter Miami, a club now valued at $1.45 billion.
“The shift from traditional sponsorship agreements towards equity stakes and startup investments reflects a broader focus on long-term wealth creation and financial security beyond an athlete’s playing career,” says Kamraan Khan, a partner at Archers Valuation and Advisory.
For Messi, the international playing career just ended. The investing career is already well into the second half.