Messi and Ronaldo become only players to score in five World Cups, and crypto fan tokens are feeling it

Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo now stand alone in football history. They are the only two players to have scored in five different FIFA World Cups.

Ronaldo got there first, netting against Ghana during the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Messi joined the club on June 17, 2026, with a hat-trick against Algeria that brought his career World Cup tally to 16 goals, tying Ronaldo’s total.

A milestone decades in the making

Scoring in five World Cups means maintaining elite-level performance across a span of at least 16 years. Most professional footballers are lucky to make two or three squads.

Where football meets blockchain

Messi has served as a prominent ambassador for Socios.com, a fan engagement platform built on the Chiliz blockchain. The platform, which has historically been valued at over $20 million, allows fans to purchase tokens that grant voting rights and access to exclusive experiences tied to their favorite clubs and national teams.

Argentina’s fan token, $ARG, is one of the assets most directly tied to the national team’s World Cup performance. Historical trends show that World Cup events cause notable volatility in fan token markets, with trading volumes spiking around key matches and standout individual performances.

Beyond Socios, Messi holds equity in Sorare, an NFT platform that intersects fantasy sports with cryptocurrency. Sorare lets users buy, sell, and trade digital player cards that function as assets in fantasy football competitions.

Panini Blockchain is also releasing digital collectibles for the FIFA World Cup 2026 featuring both Messi and Ronaldo.

Messi has been involved in promotions with Bitget, a cryptocurrency exchange. Ronaldo has pursued similar partnerships.

What this means for investors

Fan tokens are notoriously volatile during high-stakes tournaments. The same momentum that drives prices up after a stunning victory can reverse sharply after an unexpected group-stage exit.

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