After leading the South American superpowers to their third World Cup victory in Qatar on Sunday, Lionel Messi has become the talk of practically the whole world, not just in his native Argentina. And if stories are to be believed, Argentina may even consider printing a new 1000 peso currency with his image on it.
As per a report in El Financiero, a Mexican national daily, the Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina plans to mark the historic feat and have been working on ideas, following the team’s 4-2 shootout win against France in the final.
Fans eagerly anticipate seeing the new currency note in circulation as the mock-ups of it have already gone viral on social media.
The 1000 peso bill was particularly picked, according to the story, because it starts with 10 and matches Messi’s jersey number for Argentina.
The mock-ups shows Messi’s face in one side, while ‘La Scaloneta’, the team’s nickname, will be written on the other side. The name has been associated with the Argentina men’s national team after Lionel Scaloni took charge following Jorge Sampaoli’s exit back in 2018. Under Scaloni, Argentina won the 2021 Copa America, the first ever Finalissima at Wembley Stadium and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time Argentina have seen such tribute to their World Cup stars. Back in 1978 when the country first won the World Cup, they had issued commemorative coins in tribute.
Messi won the Golden Ball for finishing the World Cup with seven goals and three assists. The football player is currently celebrating the victory in Argentina, where the team was greeted by millions of fans who flooded the capital city of Buenos Aires to take part in the celebration.
