What cleats does Messi wear, and why does he prefer them?

What cleats does Messi wear, and why does he prefer them?

Sospeter Itolondo
updated at June 5, 2023 at 7:33 PM
In this article:
Lionel Messi logo
L.Messi
Inter Miami CF logoFArgentina logo
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
Kylian Mbappé logo
K.Mbappé
Paris Saint Germain (PSG) logoFFrance logo
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior logo
Neymar
Al-Hilal Saudi FC logoFBrazil logo
FIFA World Cup logo
FIFA World Cup
International

Widely considered the GOAT for his magical performances on the pitch, Messi's greatness may be attributed to the type of boots he wears. Quality cleats are essential to every athlete to maximise their abilities, such as speed and movement. Wondering what cleats Messi wears?

What cleats does Messi wear?
Messi's boots before an international friendly against Panama at Estadio Mas Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti on March 23, 2023, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: Marcelo Endelli( Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Is Messi Adidas or Nike? The phenomenon has been widely known as an Adidas athlete; therefore, he wears their cleats. However, during the first years of his career, the former PSG star wore Nike shoes. What brand of cleats does Messi Wear? Check this out to find out more.

What cleats does Messi wear in 2023?

In the 2022/2023 season, the star wore the Adidas X Speedportal .1. The X Speedportal line was restarted in 2021, before which Messi wore the Nemeziz line. The X Speedportal is known to be worn by other stars such as Karim Benzema and Heung-min Son.

What cleats did Messi wear in the World Cup?
A detailed view of the boots of Lionel Messi of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Poland and Argentina at Stadium 974 on November 30, 2022, in Doha, Qatar. Photo: Michael Regan
Source: Getty Images

Messi began wearing the Nemeziz 19.2 line in 2017, which came in purple or white. 2019 the star wore the Adidas Copa 19 before returning to the Nemeziz cleats in 2020. However, the star wore the Nike Total 90 boots at the beginning of his career before signing a $621,000 contract with Adidas.

What colour cleats does Messi wear? The Magician mainly wears the orange version of the X Speedportal .1, although he has also worn the Cloud white or Legacy version at times.

What cleats did Messi wear in the World Cup?

Concerning what cleats Messi wore in the World Cup in 2022, they were specially made for the star to mark the 5th World Cup competition he featured in. They were released on November 22nd 2022. The golden shoes featured three white stripes on the outer side and the number 10 engraved on the back.

The X Speedportal Leyenda Messi 2022 World Cup boots were upgraded after the Argentine Captain lifted the much-coveted trophy. Sam Handy designed the update and shared photos of the legendary shoe on his Instagram account. The shoe features the words FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner' on the side.

what cleats Messi wore in the World Cup in 2022
Lionel Messi's boots are seen following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group D match against Nigeria at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 26, 2018, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Photo: Jamie Squire
Source: Getty Images

The front of the cleat near the toes are two stars with a goat's head engraved in the middle vertically in blue. The inside features three golden stars representing the World Cup won by Argentina in 1978, 1986 and 2022, and an Adidas logo in blue.

What cleats does Mbappé use?

The star wears the Nike Mercurial Superfly 9 Dream Speed 6 as a Nike athlete. The cleats are usually pinkish with spots of blue, a huge Nike logo across the front, and an Air Zoom engraved at the side and sole.

Nike also designed a special boot to commemorate Mbappé's achievement of becoming PSG's top scorer surpassing Cavani. The cleats were called the Nike x Mbappé KM201 Boots, which had 201 engraved on the side with KM near the ankles. KM is the initials of the star's name.

What cleats does Ronaldo wear?

The Nike star wears the special Mercurial Zoom Superfly. Cristiano Ronaldo sported the shoe during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Al Nassr star recently released the Mercurial 007 from his Dream Series.

What cleats does Ronaldo wear?
The customised Nike Mercurial football boots of Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United during the Premier League match against Burnley at Turf Moor on February 8, 2022, in Burnley, United Kingdom. Photo: Robbie Jay Barrat
Source: Getty Images

What boots does Erling Haaland wear?

The football star Haaland had been unsigned for most of his career till he signed with Nike, speculated to be for $24 million per year, on March 31st, 2023. The Manchester City record breaker has then switched to the Phantom GX Link Special Edition.

Neymar's boots

The Brazilian star Neymar is known for his flair and creativity hence his latest release, Creativity 2023. He has not won the shoes since they were released when he was injured. However, he has won the Future Z's. The star has also been part of the Nike Mercurial line.

What are Neymar’s boots?
Detail of Neymar Jr's Puma boots during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and RC Lens at Parc des Princes on May 1, 2021, in Paris, France. Photo: Catherine Steenkeste
Source: Getty Images

Lionel Messi is one of the most prolific athletes in the world, and every gear must be nearly perfect to enhance his abilities further. The star is an Adidas athlete, so the brand produces his cleats. Lionel Messi wears the X Speedportal .1 alongside stars such as Benzema and Salah.

READ ALSO: Manchester United women's team profile: Squad, coach, captain, stadium, achievements

Sports Brief reported about the Manchester United Women's team. The team has had a spectacular 2022/2023 season missing out on the title by a few points. They also have some of the most talented players in the league. Who are Manchester United women's team players? Who is their coach? Check out the link above to learn more about the spectacular team.

Authors
Sospeter Itolondo photo
Sospeter Itolondo
SEO Editor