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Edtech major Byju's has roped in football star Lionel "Leo" Messi as the first global brand ambassador of its social impact arm Education For All, the company said on Friday.
Messi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentinian football team, has signed an agreement with Byju's to promote the cause of equitable education, Byju's said in a statement.
"We are honoured and excited to collaborate with Lionel Messi as our global ambassador.
"He rose from the grassroots to become one of the most successful sports persons ever.
"That is the kind of opportunity that Byju's Education For All (EFA) wants to create for the nearly 5.5 million children it currently empowers.
"No one represents the power of enhancing human potential more than Lionel Messi," Byju's co-founder Divya Gokulnath said.
The engagement of Byju's with Messi will enhance visibility of the edtech firm overseas as football has roughly 3.5 billion fans worldwide, and Lionel Messi has a social media following of nearly 450 million.
"It is not really surprising that the greatest player of all time is also the greatest learner of all time.
"I am sure this partnership will inspire millions of people around the world to dream bigger and learn better," Gokulnath said.
Earlier this year, Byju's became the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
"The long-term engagement, which begins as Lionel Messi embarks on his final campaign to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 as captain of Argentina's national football team, will see him feature in campaigns promoting Byju's Education For All," the statement said.
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," Messi said.