Olivier Giroud discusses strategy to face Messi in World Cup, now pivots to crypto ambassador role

Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading scorer, once laid out his game plan for neutralizing Lionel Messi on the world’s biggest stage. “We will try everything to stop him,” Giroud said ahead of the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. “We want another World Cup.”

Those comments, originally made in December 2022, have resurfaced in online discussions. But the more interesting development isn’t what Giroud said about Messi three years ago. It’s what he’s doing now: lending his name and World Cup-winner credibility to the crypto industry.

From the pitch to the platform

On June 12, 2025, Giroud was appointed Global Brand Ambassador for BitradeX, an AI-driven digital asset trading platform. The partnership is designed to marry athletic discipline with trading strategy, a marketing angle that crypto platforms have increasingly favored as they chase mainstream legitimacy.

Giroud retired from international football after Euro 2024 at age 37.

Why athletes keep showing up in crypto

The Giroud-BitradeX partnership doesn’t exist in a vacuum. FIFA itself has been building bridges to the crypto world, with partnerships that incorporate fan tokens and NFTs heading into the 2026 World Cup cycle. The exchange Kraken is among the platforms that have secured FIFA-related partnerships.

The track record of athlete-crypto partnerships is, shall we say, mixed. Several high-profile endorsement deals from previous cycles ended poorly for both the athletes and the investors who followed their lead. The FTX collapse alone took down endorsement relationships with Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and others.

What this means for crypto investors

One pattern worth monitoring: crypto assets tied to major sporting events tend to see volatility spikes around tournament announcements, matchday schedules, and partnership reveals. Fan tokens in particular have shown sensitivity to these catalysts.

The broader risk is reputational contagion. If a platform like BitradeX were to encounter regulatory trouble or operational issues, Giroud’s association would become a liability rather than an asset, both for the player and for anyone who trusted the endorsement. A successful partnership could also legitimize the platform in markets where Giroud’s name carries significant cultural weight, particularly in France and across Europe.

For retail participants, the advice hasn’t changed: treat celebrity endorsements as marketing, not investment advice.

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