Icons locks in Messi and makes it the real deal

November 21 – In a world where football is a currency unto itself, memorabilia giant Icons is positioning itself as the gatekeeper to authenticity. The England-based company, which has long been regarded as one of the most reliable names in the business, is piloting its biggest name, Lionel Messi, and safeguarding all things the Argentine touches as the real deal.

Icons announced a five-year contract extension with the GOAT on Thursday, with its new three-tiered authentication system designed to give collectors absolute peace of mind in a market where replicas, forgeries, and suspect signatures are commonplace.

“After so many years collaborating with Icons, we are happy to begin a new stage of partnership, incorporating the next level of authenticity to make memorabilia collectors’ experiences even better,” Messi said through Icons.

The backbone of this new effort is NFC technology. Every item signed by Messi will carry an embedded chip that allows fans to verify its authenticity instantly with their mobile phones.

Icons CEO Dan Jamieson explained how the company built the ‘TripleLock’ system with Crane Authentication. Each piece now comes with an individual signing photo complete with time, date and location; a tamper-proof hologram that matches its certificate; and the encrypted NFC tag. For a market that’s become a magnet for forgeries, it’s a major upgrade.

“We want to revolutionise what we do and what you do to create a new level of authenticity,” Jamieson said. “Every time that pen hits a product, it’s photographed. Every time it goes past our camera, it’s time-coded.”

Recently, Messi’s autograph has been at the centre of recent controversy in the trading-card world, with PSA rejecting multiple examples while Topps insisted they were genuine. Jamieson won’t comment on how card companies manage their processes, saying: “All I can say is I know what I do,” he said. “I’m in the room with him. We have contracts. We get the best stuff signed.”

Given the skyrocketing value of Messi items and the wider boom in memorabilia, Icons sees this system as the future. Messi will be the first, but far from the last. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal are already next in line.

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