All eyes will be on Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup as he competes at the tournament for a final time.
A World Cup title is one of few trophies Messi is yet to win and at the age of 35, time is running out for him to claim the silverware with Argentina.
Fortunately, both Messi and his national team have found form at the right time and look set to be serious contenders in Qatar.
The PSG star is also debuting new boots for the 2022 World Cup which will ensure Messi turns heads with and without the ball at his feet.
MORE: Charting Messi and Ronaldo’s incredible journey to their final World Cup
Messi’s World Cup football boots
Messi will have a literal golden touch in Qatar thanks to his new adidas boots.
The gold-coloured X Speedportal Leyenda was released to mark Messi’s fifth World Cup and was inspired by elements of the shoes the Argentine wore on his tournament debut back in 2006.
‘Leyenda’ is Spanish for legend and is a fitting nod to the 35-year-old who has won a record seven Ballon d’Ors.
Messi will debut the boots in Argentina’s first match of the 2022 World Cup against Saudi Arabia on November 22.
These shoes are designed for speed and agility with a carbon-fibre insert providing a big spring without the weight.
Messi’s new signature World Cup boots 🤩 pic.twitter.com/f97Uw1yvtG
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 18, 2022
How much do Messi’s World Cup shoes cost?
Messi’s X Speedportal Leyenda boots will go on public sale on November 22, 2022 with fans able to buy them just prior to Argentina’s first World Cup game.
They currently have a retail price of $355 (£300) but should Messi go on to win the tournament, these boots will likely skyrocket in value as they become a possible collector’s item.
The boot can be viewed and purchased on adidas’ website here.
How long has Messi worn adidas?
Messi hasn’t always worn adidas boots and in fact made his breakthrough wearing Nike instead.
At the U20 World Cup in 2005, a young Messi wore Nike T-90 boots as he fired Argentina to the title with six goals.
Less than a year later though, adidas managed to sign Messi to a five-year deal and he hasn’t worn any other brand since.
In 2017, Messi signed a lifetime contract with adidas that was reportedly worth $10.5 million (£9m) each year.
Messi’s boots at every World Cup
While Messi did once wear Nike, he has only ever donned adidas boots on the senior World Cup stage and we look back at every pair below.
World Cup 2006
Messi’s newest boots are a nod to the F30s he wore in Germany 16 years ago. Unlike his current model, these were white/blue and not gold, with a nice tribute to Diego Maradona etched on them.
Lionel Messi’s boots at the 2006 World Cup with Argentina. It’s written “La mano de Dios” with 86 behind it. Meaning “The Hand of God” in tribute to Diego Maradona. pic.twitter.com/lzTvom0dlA
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) January 9, 2022
World Cup 2010
Four years later, Messi upgraded to F50 adizero boots for South Africa – a model he wore in different variations for years.
Leo wore his Chameleon Purple f50 adizero boots during the 2010 World Cup. Do you remember the 1st game? #messifacts pic.twitter.com/PcIobrh5Ll
— Team Messi (@TeamMessi) October 9, 2013
World Cup 2014
In Brazil Messi stuck to the F50 adizero, but these ones were arguably more eye-catching and also saw the Argentine win the Golden Ball as his side lost the final to Germany 1-0.
When it comes to exclusivity, it’s hard to top the daring pair of @Adidas Adizero F50 boots that @TeamMessi donned at the 2014 @FIFAWorldCup 🇦🇷
The individual details of these stunning shoes can be examined at the museum🤩
Which boots stand out in your own memory?🤔 pic.twitter.com/9OmFKKJ7WQ
— FIFA Museum (@FIFAMuseum) February 20, 2022
World Cup 2018
This tournament in Russia saw Messi switch things up by wearing the Nemeziz 18.1 in a bright-green colouring with name of his son Thiago etched on to them. They didn’t prove to be very lucky though as Argentina won just one of their four matches.
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