“Lionel Messi is not just the greatest of all time, he is also the humblest celebrity of our time,” shared Divya Gokulnath, co-founder of edtech major BYJU’s after Argentina and Lionel Messi’s historic win at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
In a LinkedIn post, Gokulnath shared what happened in the moment BYJU’s signed Messi as the company’s global brand ambassador for Education for All (EFA).
The not-for-profit, social impact division of Byju’s currently serves 5.5 million children all over the country. The long-term engagement saw Messi feature in campaigns promoting Byju’s Education For All and began as Messi embarked on his final campaign to win the football World Cup 2022 as captain of Argentina’s national football team. This came after Byju’s bagged the elite and high stake sponsorship deal FIFA World Cup 2022 which was held in Qatar.
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Gokulnath wrote that she greeted him in Spanish as she knows the language: “Hola, Messi,” I said as his manager informed him that I know Spanish. “Un poco Español,” I had to clarify as he smiled. I only know “a little bit Spanish” after all.”
She also shared what her husband Byju Raveendran said to Messi, via the translator. It was “prophetic”, she said.
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“Byju told Messi, through a translator, that his fondest childhood memory is that of sitting on his father’s shoulders to watch Argentina win the 1986 World Cup on a neighbour’s TV set in his village. And then Byju’s said something prophetic. These are his exact words: “I want to carry my son on my shoulders when you score the winning goal for Argentina in a World Cup final. I have this feeling that I will fulfil this dream in Qatar on December 18, 2022.”
Along with the post, Gokulnath shared an image of her son on Byju’s shoulders as they watched Messi and Argentina become world champions.
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