Indian online education (Edtech) company BYJU'S revealed football megastar Lionel Messi on Friday as the global ambassador of its social arm, Education For All.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, is one of the most recognizable faces in the world and will now partner with BYJU'S to lobby for equitable education on the planet.
This will be Messi's first commercial agreement with an Indian firm.
Speaking about his signing up with BYJU'S, Messi said that he decided to join the team because the Indian company's goal to provide learning opportunities to all is in accordance with his ideals.
"I chose to partner with BYJU’S because their mission to make everyone fall in love with learning perfectly aligns with my values. High-quality education changes lives, and BYJU'S has transformed the career paths of millions of students worldwide. I hope to inspire young learners to reach and remain at the top," the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star said in a statement.
Divya Gokulnath, who founded BYJU'S with her husband Bijyu Raveendran, said that the business was "honored" to have Messi as their first global ambassador.
"We are honored and excited to collaborate with Lionel Messi as our global ambassador. He rose from the grassroots to become one of the most successful sportsmen ever. That is the kind of opportunity that BYJU'S Education For All (EFA) wants to create for the nearly 5.5Mln children it currently empowers. No one represents the power of enhancing human potential more than Lionel Messi," Gokulnath said.
BIJYU'S was founded in 2011 and, as of March 2022 has a valuation of $22Bln and has 115Mln registered learners. Its revenues for the 2021 financial year were $290Mln. However, this is not the first time that BYJU'S has been associated with football.
A couple of months ago, the Edtech business joined an elite group of companies that are FIFA's official sponsors for this year's World Cup in Qatar.
The world's greatest football tournament will start on 20 November with a match between Ecuador and hosts Qatar at the Al-Bayt Stadium.