Lionel Messi Named Official Icon of Royal Caribbean’s Revolutionary Icon of the Seas Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean International has set sail on a groundbreaking partnership with global football sensation Lionel Messi, appointing him as the official Icon of the Seas cruise ship, slated to debut in January 2024.

The announcement comes as a culmination of Royal Caribbean’s collaboration with Inter Miami CF, where the cruise line serves as the club’s Main Partner and Official Vacation Partner. Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year, will play a pivotal role in the exclusive naming celebration of the Icon of the Seas in Miami next year.

Messi will partake in the maritime tradition of bestowing safekeeping onto the new ship, its crew, and the millions of passengers it is poised to host. The football star expressed his excitement, stating, “Icon of the Seas is beyond anything else that’s out there for family vacations, with incredible never-before-seen features, all designed for making memories together.”

The collaboration marks a new chapter in the Royal Caribbean and Inter Miami CF partnership, with details of the next phase set to be unveiled at a later date. Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley remarked, “Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of delivering memorable vacations, and it’s set to live up to its name in more ways than one when it changes the vacation industry in January 2024.”

As Messi takes on the role of Icon of the Seas, the partnership promises to redefine the cruise experience, blending the thrill of football fandom with the unparalleled luxury and innovation for which Royal Caribbean is renowned. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting collaboration between the football legend and the iconic cruise line.