Hard Rock International has marked its 50th-anniversary celebration by singing FC Barcelona’s Leo Messi as its new brand ambassador for the five next years, with the Argentinian becoming the first athlete to partner with Hard Rock.

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As part of the new partnership, Hard rock has unveiled a new collection of merchandise inspired by Messi, available in all its stores and online shops.

The partnership harkens back to Hard Rock’s roots, as the brand’s world-famous T-shirts came to fruition when the original London Cafe sponsored a local soccer team in the early 1970s. The team’s T-shirt featured the Hard Rock logo. The extra shirts were returned to the cafe and given to loyal customers. Eventually, the restaurant had to set up a separate concession stand to handle the growing popularity of t-shirt sales. To this day, Hard Rock’s Classic T-shirt remains an integral part of the brand’s identity.