Sports superstar Lionel Messi is named the icon of Icon of the Seas

The eight-time winner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or award and Time’s 2023 Athlete of the Year will join the Jan. 23 inaugural celebration for the new world's largest cruise ship.

Fútbol's GOAT

Widely regarded as the greatest of all time, Messi has and continues to set a long list of records throughout his career. He ushered in a new era of fútbol in the US by joining Royal Caribbean partner and new Leagues Cup champion Inter Miami CF.

'I'm thrilled and honored to join the Royal Caribbean family to celebrate the arrival of the game-changing Icon of the Seas,' Messi said. 'Icon is beyond anything else that's out there for family vacations, with incredible never-before-seen features, all designed for making memories together.'

Messi's new role follows Royal Caribbean becoming Inter Miami CF's main partner and official vacation partner several months ago. Icon of the Seas will herald the next phase of the partnership, with details to come.

An icon for Icon

'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,' said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. 'It's that ability to make such a widespread impact and change the status quo that the icon of Icon must personify, and Lionel Messi has proven to be the perfect example of that for years in the world of sports and most recently in introducing a new era of excitement and passion for fútbol in Miami and the US.'