Argentine Central Bank jokingly proposes putting Lionel Messi in country’s 1000 peso note

The entire country of Argentina is currently on could nine celebrating their national football team’s FIFA World Cup win. While the nation shows love to the Lionel Messi-led squad for bringing the World Cup home for the first time since 1986, fresh reports have claimed that the Argentine Central Bank has proposed putting Messi’s picture on their 1000 peso banknote. As reported by financial newspaper El Financiero, the proposals have been made in jest by the Central Bank officials.

As per Daily Mail, the newspaper claimed in the report that the proposal have been made to mark Messi and co.’s 4-2 win over France in the penalty shootout, during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final on Sunday. It is also being reported that the Central Bank officials started working on ideas even before the epic final in Qatar. However, the report also states that the proposal about putting Messi on the banknote was made ‘jokingly’.

“This option was ‘jokingly’ proposed by members of the Argentine Central Bank”

Messi’s face is being put on the 1000 peso bill as it matches with his iconic jersey no. ‘10’. “Before you think otherwise, this option was ‘jokingly’ proposed by members of the Argentine Central Bank, although the most enthusiastic directors, such as Lisandro Cleri, a fervent supporter of Boca Juniors , and Eduardo Hecker, a follower of Independiente , agreed on that a banknote with this design would awaken the collecting spirit of Argentines,” El Financiero’s report read.

The report further stated that the country has previously issued commemorative coins, notably after the country won it’s maiden FIFA World Cup in 1978. The current plan is to put the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s face on the note, with Argentine coach Leo Scaloni in the back. Scaloni has been given the nickname ’La Scalonet’ after he assumed the coaching role in 2018.

“And on the back of the ticket? ‘La Scaloneta’ (the nickname of the team led by Leonel Scaloni), they say, has already done enough merit to be immortalized there, this after their victories in the 2021 Copa América, the Finalissima (the match against Italy, the most recent champion of the Euro) and Qatar 2022,” EF’s report further added.