Byju's ropes in Messi as global brand ambassador for its social initiative

Earlier this year, edtech giant Byju's became the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar

Edtech giant Byju’s has roped in football star Lionel Messi as the first global brand ambassador of its social impact arm, Education For All. Messi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentinian football team, has signed an agreement with Byju’s to promote the cause of equitable education.

This association with one of the biggest athletic stars in the world is in sync with the expanding global footprint of Byju’s. The firm said it is committed to making education accessible, equitable, and affordable for all.

“I chose to partner with Byju’s because their mission to make everyone fall in love with learning perfectly aligns with my values,” said Messi. “High-quality education changes lives, and Byju’s has transformed the career paths of millions of students worldwide. I hope to inspire young learners to reach and remain at the top.” 

Messi also runs his own charitable organisation, the Leo Messi Foundation. Started in 2007, the idea behind the foundation is that children should all have the same opportunities to realise their dreams.

Earlier this year, Byju’s became the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Football has roughly 3.5 billion fans worldwide, and Lionel Messi has a social media following of nearly 450 million. The long-term engagement, which begins as Lionel Messi embarks on his final campaign to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 as captain of Argentina’s national football team, will see him feature in campaigns promoting Byju’s Education For All.

“He (Messi) rose from the grassroots to become one of the most successful sportspersons ever. That is the kind of opportunity that Byju’s Education For All wants to create for the nearly 5.5 million children it currently empowers,” said Divya Gokulnath, co-founder of Byju’s. “No one represents the power of enhancing human potential more than Lionel Messi. It is not really surprising that the greatest player of all time is also the greatest learner of all time. I am sure this partnership will inspire millions of people around the world to dream bigger and learn better.”

Widely acknowledged as the world’s best passer, the best dribbler, and the best free-kick taker, Messi attributes his success to his commitment to learning more every day. Byju’s said it believes Messi will be an ideal mentor for hundreds of millions of young people worldwide through his work ethic, game study, and love for learning.

Byju’s is valued at $22 billion and has over $150 million learners. The company has raised a total funding of $5.8 billion from investors such as BlackRock, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia, General Atlantic, Tiger Global and QIA.

Byju Raveendran, chief executive officer and founder of Byju’s, recently said the firm has to part ways with 2500 employees to avoid role duplication across the company’s businesses. The firm is targeting to be profitable by March next year. According to sources, Byju’s is implementing an “optimisation plan”, where it is set to lay off nearly 2,500, or 5 per cent of its 50,000 employees.