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A legendary footballer joins
a legendary brand

DUBAI — Lionel Messi joins the world of Audemars Piguet and its 135 years of history. Understandably proud to be welcoming him, Audemars Piguet CEO Philippe Merk salutes the arrival of this exceptional personality who has successively overcome life’s various trials to reach the peak of his art, a press release said.

From his earliest childhood in Argentina, Lionel Messi enjoyed kicking a ball through the streets of his hometown of Rosario. He is currently a striker for the legendary FC Barcelona and for his national team, where he wears the legendary Number 10 shirt – the emblematic number of the world’s greatest footballers.

“Lionel Messi is an exceptional man, the greatest player of his generation. This young and talented athlete not only embodies pure sporting genius, but also the courage and the determination of a man who fights against all odds to pursue his dreams. Above and beyond his intrinsic value, we are welcoming a big-hearted man with valuable human qualities into the Audemars Piguet family,” said Philippe Merk.

Such a life journey was bound to be meaningful to Audemars Piguet. The 135-year history of the Manufacture has also been punctuated by many obstacles. Audemars Piguet has overcome them and in doing so has acquired the kind of competence it now sees in Lionel Messi.

Keenly aware of what such knowledge entails and of the power to effect change that it encompasses, both Lionel Messi and Audemars Piguet are concerned with passing it on to younger generations in preparing for the future. Lionel Messi does so through his new “Fundacíon Leo Messi” created in 2009, and Audemars Piguet through its own foundation.

This shared vision will be the driving force behind several social projects that the two partners will be jointly developing over the coming years.