8 hours ago
16
Argentina’s national team coach Lionel Scaloni has publicly endorsed Rodrigo De Paul’s decision to join Inter Miami, making it clear that the midfielder’s move to Major League Soccer won’t jeopardize his spot on the World Cup roster. For a player who was a key piece in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, that’s the kind of reassurance that matters.
De Paul initially arrived at Inter Miami on loan from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2025. The club made the deal permanent in December 2025, locking him into a Designated Player contract that runs through 2029. The message from Scaloni is simple: keep performing, and the national team door stays open.
De Paul isn’t a 35-year-old on a farewell tour. He’s a midfielder in his prime, reuniting with his national team captain ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada. Scaloni’s endorsement signals something that European football purists have been reluctant to accept: playing in MLS doesn’t automatically mean a player has checked out competitively.
Inter Miami has been particularly aggressive on the digital front. The club announced a partnership with Polkadot in August 2024, bringing on the blockchain network as its Global Training Partner. That deal centers on a fan rewards program, essentially using blockchain infrastructure to deepen engagement with the club’s rapidly expanding global fanbase. The club also works with XBTO, which serves as Inter Miami’s Official Cryptofinance Partner.
To be clear, there is no crypto token tied to De Paul’s transfer. No one is minting a $DEPAUL coin. His move is driven by sporting ambitions, the chance to play alongside Messi, and a long-term contract that provides stability through the end of the decade.
The risk, as always, is that these partnerships amount to logo placements rather than genuine product-market fit. Crypto sponsorships in sports have a checkered history. FTX’s naming rights deal with the Miami Heat’s arena became an embarrassment almost overnight. The difference here, at least in theory, is that Polkadot and XBTO are building functional products around fan engagement rather than simply buying brand awareness.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·