World Cup 2026 · Celebrity Watches
The World Cup starts 11 June. Argentina's captain arrives with eight World Cup appearances, one World Cup winner's medal — and a watch collection that no footballer on earth comes close to matching.
Lionel Messi has been the greatest footballer on earth for two decades. He has won everything the game has to offer — eight Ballon d'Or awards, the World Cup, the Copa América, a Champions League. He earns $20 million a year playing for Inter Miami. His net worth approaches $850 million. And in among all of that, quietly and with characteristic lack of fuss, he has assembled one of the most extraordinary watch collections in sport. Jacob & Co. created a signature line for him. Patek Philippe puts pieces on his wrist that most collectors never get close to. Audemars Piguet commissioned a bespoke Royal Oak bearing his name. As the 2026 World Cup begins, we have identified every significant watch in Messi's collection — and valued each one.
"He could have chosen any watch company in the world. He chose Jacob & Co. Which tells you Messi does not just collect watches. He collects experiences."
The crown jewel of the collection. The Epic X Chrono Messi Full Baguette is covered entirely in baguette-cut diamonds — on the case, on the bezel, on the bracelet. The blue dial references the Argentine flag. Messi's name and a calligraphic M are inscribed at 6 o'clock. His autograph appears on the caseback. The 10-minute chronograph marker is offset in red — the number 10, his number, his identity. Jacob Arabo, the founder of Jacob & Co., has said: "With Messi and the Epic X Chrono, we have certainly accomplished something extraordinary." At $600,000, it is the most valuable watch Messi owns and one of the most spectacular celebrity collaborations in watchmaking history.
Messi was photographed wearing this at the FIFA Best Player Awards 2022 — the moment he collected his record eighth Ballon d'Or. A platinum case with a striking green dial and a perpetual calendar complication that adjusts automatically through 2100. The 5270P is one of Patek's most complicated and most coveted references. The green dial version is exceptionally rare. Messi wearing it on the night of his greatest individual honour was not accidental — this is a watch chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Find this watch on our Watch FinderThis is the watch Messi wore during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar — the tournament he won. The Nautilus Perpetual Calendar in 18K white gold combines the iconic integrated bracelet design with one of Patek's most complex movements. It was spotted on his wrist throughout the tournament, making it perhaps the most historically significant watch in his collection. A World Cup winner wearing this particular reference has added a layer of provenance that no amount of money can manufacture.
Find this watch on our Watch FinderMessi was spotted wearing the Patek Philippe Cubitus — a brand new reference released at Watches and Wonders. The Cubitus is Patek's most significant new sports watch launch in years, a cushion-shaped integrated bracelet design that some are calling the successor to the Nautilus. Messi wearing it within months of launch confirms what the watch world already suspected: this reference is about to become very hard to find.
Find this watch on our Watch FinderAP commissioned a bespoke Royal Oak bearing Messi's name — a pure dial that does not repeat the standard tapisserie motif, creating something cleaner and more personal. This is not a watch you can buy. It was made for one person. The gesture itself — Audemars Piguet creating a named piece for a footballer — speaks to how seriously the watch industry takes Messi's cultural weight. He is not just an athlete endorsing a product. He is a cultural institution that watchmakers want to be associated with.
Find this watch on our Watch FinderSpotted on Messi's wrist during a PSG Champions League match against Benfica, the Rolex Daytona in white gold with a meteorite dial is one of the most spectacular production Daytonas Rolex makes. The meteorite dial — carved from actual extraterrestrial rock — ensures that no two are identical. Given that Messi himself is one of a kind, the choice makes a certain kind of sense. He has also been photographed with the "Barbie" Rolex Daytona — the rainbow bezel version — confirming he understands that watches are not just investments but expressions of character.
Find this watch on our Watch FinderWhen Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, cameras caught the Rolex Yacht-Master in Everose gold with an Oysterflex rubber strap on his wrist. The Yacht-Master is Rolex's most elegant sports watch — less tool watch than the Submariner, more expressive than the Datejust. In Everose gold it glows warmly rather than shining brightly. It is the watch of someone who has earned the right to wear exactly what they want, without needing to explain it.
Find this watch on our Watch FinderBrand Count — The Messi Collection
In 2022, Messi wore the Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740/1G throughout the tournament — and won. It became the most iconic watch in World Cup history the moment he lifted the trophy with it on his wrist. The question for 2026 is whether he repeats the choice or reaches for the new Cubitus — which has been his most recent Patek sighting and would represent a deliberate statement of evolution rather than nostalgia. Our prediction: the Cubitus for press and public appearances, the Nautilus for match days. Some things are too significant to change.
Inspired by Messi's collection? Our Watch Finder covers Patek Philippe, Rolex and Audemars Piguet from 50 verified sources across 24 countries. Find the reference that matters to you.
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