Blockchain network Polkadot will now feature its logo on football icon Lionel Messi’s training kit as part of a partnership with the United States-based football club Inter Miami.

According to a recent announcement, Inter Miami players, including stars like Lionel Messi and Luis SuΓ‘rez, will wear training kits displaying the Polkadot logo. This partnership designates Polkadot as the club’s global training partner. The logo will appear on the front and back of the training tops for players and technical staff, worn during training sessions and pre-match warmups. Fans worldwide will see the new kits for the first time on Aug. 31 before an away match with Chicago Fire FC.

As a main partner, Polkadot’s branding will also be featured in signage across the Chase Stadium, Inter Miami’s home ground. Polkadot will engage the club’s fanbase through interactive fan zone activities as part of the deal.

Chrissy Hill, CLO & interim COO of Parity Technologies, the blockchain infrastructure firm behind Polkadot, noted that the sponsorship aligns with Polkadot’s commitment to the future of entertainment.

β€œPolkadot’s sponsorship of Inter Miami aligns with its commitment to the future of entertainment.”

Introduced in 2020, Polkadot is a sharded multi-chain network co-founded by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood. The project aims to connect multiple blockchains via its central Relay Chain, ensuring shared security and consensus. This design allows independent blockchain networks, known as parachainsβ€”customizable blockchains with specific features and functionalitiesβ€”to operate in parallel and communicate with each other, enhancing interoperability and scalability across the entire network.

This partnership follows Polkadot’s previous sponsorship deals with Indy 500 driver Conor Daly and gaming company Mythical.

Polkadot employs a decentralized governance model where the community votes on how treasury funds are allocated, including marketing expenditures and sponsorship deals. While the amount spent on the recent sponsorship remains undisclosed, the arrangement is consistent with the network’s past marketing initiatives.

Earlier this year, the crypto community criticized Polkadot’s marketing practices after the project’s H1 2024 report disclosed spending roughly $37 million in the first half of 2024 on marketing rather than crucial ecosystem-building initiatives.

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