Argentina’s Central Bank is reportedly looking to honor Lionel Messi’s role in the country’s first World Cup win in 34 years by featuring his face on the new 1,000 peso bill.
The decision to commemorate Argentina’s historic 4-2 win over France on penalty kicks in Qatar with the new bill was reportedly made before the match.
El Financiero newspaper claims the Central Bank has been working on the idea for some time.
Argentina’s Central Bank is reportedly considering putting Lionel Messi, a beloved soccer player, onto a 1,000 banknote. Mock-ups of the note have gone viral, with fans eager to see it enter circulation.
According to EF, the 1,000 peso bill is meant to honor Messi, as the number ’10’ is featured on it – the same number Messi wears on his jersey when playing for Argentina.
Messi’s smiling face is featured on one side of the note, while the backside reportedly has the group’s nickname ‘La Scaloneta’.
Argentina have achieved a level of success since the appointment of Lionel Scaloni as coach in 2018, winning the 2021 Copa America, the first-ever Finalissima at Wembley Stadium, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This success has earned them the nickname ‘The Scaloni Boys’.
The bank of Argentina is now looking to capitalize on this success, by releasing a collectible note that celebrates their achievements.
If they go ahead with the plan, it will not be the first time they have crossed currency with the national team, having released a commemorative note celebrating the team’s 1986 World Cup win.
Argentina’s Central Bank has announced plans to honour footballing superstar Lionel Messi by issuing a 1,000 peso bill. The bill, which is said to favour Messi’s ’10’ shirt number, is the latest in a long line of commemorative coins and bills the bank has produced.
This includes coins issued when Argentina won its first World Cup in 1978 and 50th-anniversary bills for the death of Eva Perón, the former First Lady of Argentina.
Messi is currently enjoying some downtime back in his home in Rosario, where he was mobbed by hundreds of excited fans on his return on Tuesday.