Lionel Messi's Watch Collection: Every Patek and Rolex He Owns
Last updated: June 2026
Lionel Messi's collection spans four eras: IWC ambassador years, a Patek-led independent stretch in Paris, a Rolex-heavy run after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, and an Inter Miami chapter dominated by off-catalogue Daytonas and two reported eight-figure Pateks. The watch most associated with him today is the Rolex Day-Date 228206 in platinum with the ice-blue dial, worn in the Casa Rosada photographs after Lusail.
Messi will captain Argentina at his sixth World Cup this summer, his fourth wearing the armband. On May 28, 2026, head coach Lionel Scaloni named him in Argentina's final 26-man squad (per ESPN and beIN Sports); Messi becomes the first player to feature in six different World Cups, joining Cristiano Ronaldo on that mark. This article walks through the documented pieces in his rotation, the eras that produced them, and the so-called "Messi effect" on Patek Aquanaut 5167A pricing. For broader context on the tournament, see our complete 2026 World Cup watches guide.
Table of Contents
- 1. Era 1: IWC Ambassador Years (roughly 2010 to 2018)
- 2. Era 2: Independent Collector (2018 to 2022)
- 3. Era 3: After the 2022 World Cup Win (December 2022 to 2023)
- 4. Era 4: Inter Miami and the Off-Catalogue Daytonas (July 2023 to present)
- 5. The "Messi Effect" on the Patek Aquanaut 5167A
- 6. What Messi Is Wearing Going Into 2026
- 7. Sources and Methodology
- 8. Frequently Asked Questions
Era 1: IWC Ambassador Years (roughly 2010 to 2018)
Messi's first major watch relationship was with IWC Schaffhausen. The brand made him a global ambassador around 2010, and the piece most associated with him from that period is the IWC Portuguese, photographed in multiple brand campaigns and personal appearances through the back half of the decade.
The Portuguese is a dress chronograph with a clean, oversized dial and a long Portuguese-watch lineage going back to the 1930s. It was the natural pairing for an ambassador role: legible, classic, conservative. "Chronograph" here means a stopwatch function — a mechanical timer added to the standard hours-and-minutes movement.
An IWC Portugieser Chronograph, a current example of the line Messi wore during his IWC years; his exact ambassador-era reference is not documented. Image: IWC
The ambassador stretch also overlapped with one Audemars Piguet sighting: the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 15202 with the white tapisserie dial. The 15202 is the modern continuation of the original 1972 Royal Oak Jumbo, a thin automatic at 39mm with no date and the distinctive petite tapisserie dial pattern. It was a one-off appearance rather than a contracted relationship, but it shows up clearly enough in the photographic record to anchor it to this period.
Era 2: Independent Collector (2018 to 2022)
The IWC partnership wound down toward the end of the 2010s. What replaced it wasn't another brand contract; it was a personal collecting phase, and the brand that defined it was Patek Philippe.
The first documented Patek sightings on Messi's wrist were the Aquanaut 5167A in stainless steel and an early Nautilus 5711/1A. The 5167A is the modern stainless Aquanaut, automatic, with the embossed "Tropical" rubber strap that the line is known for. Retail at the time was around $23,000. We will come back to the 5167A in its own section because of what happened to its secondary market price.
Two Rolex pieces landmark this era. The first is the Yacht-Master in Everose gold, reference 126655, photographed on Messi's wrist on his Paris Saint-Germain signing day in August 2021. Retail was $27,300; secondary market at the time sat around $39,000 per Chrono24 listings.
The second is heavier metal. For his 34th birthday in June 2021, Messi was photographed wearing the Rolex Submariner 116659SABR, the white gold Submariner with a factory-set baguette sapphire bezel in a blue gradient. Retail was approximately $92,000; secondary market was around $220,000. This is the "Smurf" nickname collectors use for the white gold blue Sub.
The era closes out with another Daytona: the 116509 in white gold with a meteorite dial, photographed at PSG vs. Benfica in October 2022.
Era 3: After the 2022 World Cup Win (December 2022 to 2023)
Argentina beat France in the Lusail final on December 18, 2022. The watch that defined the weeks afterward, in Casa Rosada and on the open-bus parade through Buenos Aires, was the Rolex Day-Date 228206 in platinum with the ice-blue diagonal-motif dial. It's documented by iflwatches.com as the celebration watch.
The 228206 is platinum case, platinum bezel, platinum President bracelet, with the ice-blue Roman numeral dial reserved for the platinum Day-Date line. Retail at acquisition was roughly $80,000; clean secondary examples trade in the $90,000 to $120,000 range as of June 2026 per Chrono24 and WatchCharts. The Day-Date 228206 in platinum is the watch that anchored every Messi photograph in the weeks after Argentina won. It's what people remember.
Two more high-profile pieces show up in this same celebratory stretch. A yellow gold Rainbow Daytona, reference 116598RBOW, appears on Messi's wrist for New Year's Eve into 2024. The Rainbow Daytona uses sapphires in the spectrum across the bezel and corresponding hour markers.
The other is co-branded: the Jacob & Co. Epic X Chrono Messi. The standard collaboration ran to 180 pieces, with the titanium edition launched at roughly $28,000 retail (a rose gold version ran about $44,000). It carries an "M" calligraphy at six o'clock, Messi's autograph on the open caseback, and a red number 10 on the bezel, a nod to his jersey number. Jacob & Co. also made a gem-set Baguette variant (reference EC423.32.OE.LL.JBRUA) in titanium and 18K white gold, its bezel set with 36 baguette diamonds, which lists around $181,500. So the Messi edition spans from roughly $28,000 in titanium to well into six figures gem-set. The line is documented on jacobandco.com's press archive.
Era 4: Inter Miami and the Off-Catalogue Daytonas (July 2023 to present)
Messi's move to Inter Miami began in July 2023, and his watch rotation since has tilted hard toward Daytonas, including several off-catalogue allocations that don't appear in Rolex's published lineup.
The piece with the strongest photographic record from this chapter is the Rolex Daytona "Le Mans," reference 126529LN. Rolex released it for the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's white gold, with a contrasting graphic dial, a red "100" at the running-seconds subdial, and an open caseback (unusual for a Daytona). Rolex discontinued it in April 2024 after roughly eight months in production. Pre-discontinuation secondary pricing was $80,000 to $95,000; it climbed steeply after, and as of June 2026 clean examples trade in the $220,000 to $280,000 range per WatchCharts and Chrono24.
One caveat on the Le Mans. Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi's wife, has been independently photographed wearing the Le Mans from the family's case. When evaluating Le Mans photographs from this chapter, the wristshot may be hers rather than his. We flag this so that "Messi was photographed wearing the Le Mans" doesn't get extended to every photo of the watch in the household.
Several off-catalogue Daytonas show up in this period. These aren't catalog pieces you can spec on rolex.com; Rolex placed them through VIP allocation channels.
| Reference | Description | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona 126538TBR | Yellow gold, turquoise stone dial, baguette diamond bezel | Off-catalogue; only Messi and Sylvester Stallone reported owners |
| Daytona "Giraffe" 126555TBR | Everose gold, chestnut lacquer diamond-set dial, baguette diamond bezel | Off-catalogue; VIP allocation |
| Daytona 126538TRO "Barbie" pink | Pink configuration, reported ~$900K | Reportedly ~10 worldwide; Messi, Drake, Wahlberg, Wozniacki, Federer per time4diamonds.com and bobswatches.com |
On the Patek side, two pieces drive the value calculus for the era. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 in the "Tiffany Blue" configuration is the 170-piece limited edition produced jointly with Tiffany & Co. in 2021 to mark the Tiffany-Patek retail relationship. The public auction record for the reference is $6.5 million, set at Phillips New York in December 2021. Messi's specific piece has been associated with that valuation in secondary coverage (per watchmydiamonds.com) but is not itself auction-verified. The Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5531R, a minute-repeater world-time in rose gold, carries a reported acquisition value of $9 million in the same coverage. These figures are reported, not auction-grade documented for Messi's specific examples.
The Aquanaut 5167A from Era 2 stays in the rotation across all of this — multi-year, multi-event. It's the piece that shows up most consistently in Messi photographs across the back half of his collecting decade, which feeds the next section.
The "Messi Effect" on the Patek Aquanaut 5167A
The Patek Aquanaut 5167A, the stainless automatic Aquanaut, became one of the watches most associated with Messi's wrist through 2021 to 2023. Jude Bellingham wore the same reference repeatedly during his Real Madrid signing period. Both wristshots cycled hard on Instagram and football media.
Here's how the reference's secondary market moved through that window:
| Period | Secondary market range (WatchCharts / Chrono24) |
|---|---|
| Pre-2021 average | $30,000 to $35,000 |
| 2022 peak (Messi WC win + Bellingham Real Madrid signing) | $55,000 to $65,000 |
| 2024 correction (broader Patek softening) | $42,000 to $48,000 |
| June 2026 (rebounded) | $65,000 to $75,000 |
The honest read on this: Messi's exposure was a contributing factor, not sole driver. The same 2021 to 2022 window saw the entire stainless-Patek complex move on stimulus liquidity. The Nautilus 5711/1A ran a similar trajectory without Messi attached to it directly. So the Messi and Bellingham wristshots added beta to a Patek tide that was already rising, rather than setting it off alone.
After the 2024 dip, the 5167A has rebounded hard: WatchCharts puts the steel Aquanaut near $70,000 as of June 2026, up roughly a third over the past year, and we see clean examples in that zone in our channel. It remains one of the most-asked-about pre-owned Pateks we handle. If you want broader context on this dynamic, our piece on why footballers love Patek Philippe uses Messi as the anchor case.
What Messi Is Wearing Going Into 2026
Messi will captain Argentina at his sixth World Cup this summer, his fourth wearing the armband. Scaloni named him in Argentina's final 26-man squad on May 28, 2026 (per ESPN and beIN Sports); Scaloni cautioned that Messi may not arrive fully fit after a recent hamstring scare but expects him available for the opening matches. He'll be 38 going into the tournament.
His public wrist rotation across 2025 and early 2026 has stayed Patek- and Rolex-dominated. The Aquanaut 5167A still shows up. The Day-Date 228206 still gets pulled out for ceremonial occasions. The Le Mans 126529LN and the off-catalogue Daytonas appear at Inter Miami matchdays and personal appearances.
What he wears at Argentina's group-stage matches is a separate question. Argentina's federation has not historically restricted player wristwatches during pre-match and post-match access windows. If past pattern holds, expect Patek on the arrival walk and Rolex on the bench. For the rest of the Argentina squad's documented watches, see our breakdown of the Argentina 2026 squad. For the wider tournament context, our complete 2026 World Cup watches guide covers the brands, the players, and the timing partnership shifts.
For readers tracking the Patek catalog directly, Patek's 2026 new releases covers what the brand showed at Watches and Wonders this April.
Sources: iflwatches.com for the Day-Date 228206 celebration-era documentation and other Rolex sightings; time4diamonds.com and bobswatches.com for the off-catalogue 126538TBR, Giraffe, and "Barbie" 126538TRO attributions; watchmydiamonds.com for Patek reported valuations (not auction-grade for Messi's specific pieces); the $6.5M Tiffany Blue 5711/1A-018 figure is the Phillips New York December 2021 public auction record for the reference, not a Messi-specific auction; jacobandco.com for the Epic X Chrono Messi co-branded edition. WatchCharts and Chrono24 for secondary market price ranges as of June 2026. Squad composition reflects Argentina's final 26-man squad, named by Lionel Scaloni on May 28, 2026 (reported by ESPN and beIN Sports). The "Messi effect" on Patek Aquanaut 5167A pricing is one contributing factor; broader Patek and stainless-luxury market dynamics during 2021 to 2022 stimulus liquidity also drove the move. Retail pricing reflects brand MSRP at the time of release; secondary market pricing varies by condition, year, and dealer. This article reflects industry experience and is not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What watch did Messi wear after winning the 2022 World Cup?
The Rolex Day-Date 228206 in platinum, with the ice-blue diagonal-motif dial, Roman numerals, and platinum President bracelet. Retail at acquisition was roughly $80,000; clean examples trade in the $90,000 to $120,000 range on the secondary market as of June 2026.
How much is Messi's watch collection worth?
There's no audited total. Reported individual pieces include a $9 million Patek Grand Complications 5531R and a Patek Nautilus 5711/1A-018 "Tiffany Blue" associated with the $6.5 million Phillips New York auction record (December 2021) for the reference, plus his co-branded Jacob & Co. Epic X Chrono Messi, which spans the 180-piece titanium edition at roughly $28,000 retail up to a gem-set Baguette variant (reference EC423.32.OE.LL.JBRUA) that lists around $181,500. The full collection runs deep into the eight figures based on reported values.
What is the Patek Aquanaut 5167A and why is it associated with Messi?
The 5167A is Patek's stainless steel Aquanaut, retail around $23,000. Messi wore it repeatedly through 2021 to 2023; Jude Bellingham did the same. The reference's secondary market peaked at $55,000 to $65,000 in 2022 partly on this exposure, dipped to the mid $40,000s in 2024 on broader Patek softening, then rebounded to roughly $70,000 by June 2026 per WatchCharts.
What is the Daytona Le Mans Messi wears?
Reference 126529LN, Rolex's 100th-anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans Daytona, in white gold with a red "100" graphic and open caseback. Discontinued in April 2024 after roughly eight months in production. Pre-discontinuation secondary was $80,000 to $95,000; as of June 2026 clean examples trade in the $220,000 to $280,000 range.
Is Messi playing in the 2026 World Cup?
Yes. Lionel Scaloni named Messi in Argentina's final 26-man squad on May 28, 2026 (per ESPN and beIN Sports). He becomes the first player to feature in six different World Cups, joining Cristiano Ronaldo. He'll be 38 going into the tournament, captaining the defending champions for a fourth time.
What was the first major watch Messi was associated with?
The IWC Portuguese, during his IWC ambassador years from roughly 2010 to 2018. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 15202 with the white tapisserie dial also showed up in this period as a separate, non-contracted sighting.