Lionel Messi’s formative rights are entering the digital era. Newell’s Old Boys has announced a partnership with Win Investments, a company specialized in the tokenization of training rights in football. The agreement, carried out with the support of the Argentine Professional Football League, includes 20 players developed at Newell’s, among them Messi, Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez, and Boca Juniors forward Brian Aguirre.
Win’s system converts players’ training rights into digital tokens that can be purchased by users. When a player is transferred, token holders receive a proportional share of the transfer fee, while the formative club gains access to early financing.
“For Win Investments it is a great honor that the best player in history is now digitalized on the platform,” said Santiago Roncoroni, Head of Commercial and Marketing at Win Investments. “From this alliance, anyone will be able to own a percentage of Leo’s next transfer, financing Newell’s, his formative club.”
Roncoroni added that the initiative highlights how technology is opening new opportunities in football. “Thanks to the use of technology, this possibility was unlocked so that what before only happened in games or simulations can now happen in reality.”
Although Messi’s token may not carry high resale value due to his age and the limited likelihood of major transfers, it is expected that many users will purchase it symbolically as a way of owning a piece connected to the greatest player of all time.
Win Investments is already active in eight countries, with agreements with 17 clubs and 135 players tokenized, including Argentina internationals Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Nicolás Tagliafico. The company manages over US$ 5.4 million in investable assets and has 55,000 registered users. According to its data, 20 footballers have been transferred through this mechanism, generating an average return of 14.8% in about 174 days from the launch of each token.
Reflecting on the broader impact, Roncoroni explained: “Before the creation of Win Investments, we saw people looking for ways to feel close to the world of sports. That is why sports betting grew so much in recent years. This new opportunity shows a new path of participation, where beyond each person’s reward, there is a social purpose—financing formative clubs so they can continue developing players.”
Alongside the Newell’s agreement, Win also announced the launch of its own utility token, $WINS, built on the Ethereum network. Holders will gain access to exclusive benefits on the platform and take part in community decisions. “The launch of the Win Token ($WINS) is a natural step in our growth,” Roncoroni said. “Not only do we digitalize players’ rights, but we also give the community an active role in building this new sports ecosystem.”
