Lionel Messi has not only joined a growing list of world's greatest records as a player but also added a new plant species to the list of six species named in his name. The endangered sage plant with the name of Salvia messii was discovered in Peru in the Andes and is the latest in a portfolio of species that Messi's name will be used to name. Messi has been recognized far more than he has been on the football field, which has made him much more popular around the world.
The newly called plant is known for its pale blue and white flowers with the same colour as Argentina's national flag. Local to the Andes of central and southern Peru, Salvia messii grows on rocky, dry slopes at elevations between 2,000 to 2,400 m above sea level. The plant can grow to a height of around 1.5m and belongs to the family of Lamiaceae which includes sage, mint and other aromatic plants.
But there is a problem for the world, for the environment. Scientists have classified Salvia messii as an endangered species and have raised concern about the protection of its sparse natural habitat. Messi being associated with the plant could help to raise public awareness about the plant but it will survive in the long run if the conservation measures are well done and the Andean ecosystem is protected.
How Salvia messii Became the Sixth Species Named After Messi
Salvia messii follows traditional botanical naming conventions in which a species can be named in honor of an individual. The Latinised name can be interpreted as meaning “Messi’s sage” and the footballer’s name is a part of the plant’s scientific identity.
The research on the species was carried out by Paul Gonzales from the Natural History Museum at National University of San Marcos in Peru. Biologist Jean Capcha-Ramos of Huarango Nature and Argentine researcher Rolando Uria were also involved. The results were published in the botanical journal *Phytotaxa* in October 2026.
The plant is among five other organisms previously named after Messi. They are a lizard, a burrowing spider, a fossil brachiopod, a prehistoric condor and a fungus. Each speaks to another branch of nature and the footballer's name has come to science in various disciplines.
The six species are Liolaemus messii, an iguanian lizard named in 2021; Acanthogonatus messii, a burrowing spider described in 2023; Discinisca messi, a fossil brachiopod named in 2023; Vultur messii, a fossil condor described in 2023; Cercopemyces messii, a fungus named in 2024; and Salvia messii, the newly discovered sage plant reported in 2026.
Guinness World Record: Messi's Name Reaches Six Species
Messi was recognised by Guinness World Records in May 2024 as the football player with the most species named after him, when it had five. Now with the addition of Salvia messii, it has six, which increases his record to six.
The achievement is unusual because it links sporting fame with scientific research. So species are often named after people whose accomplishments, contributions or public profiles have made them notable. Messi’s rich career has made him one of the most celebrated athletes of the world and the new botanical discovery adds another layer of attention to it.
Diego Maradona, the Argentine football legend, has also been known to be associated with many scientifically named organisms. Four organisms have been named for him but one, the fairy wasp Anaphes maradonae, was found to be the same species as a wasp already described and is now considered to be no longer a separate species. Messi's six species list is so far a rare achievement in the field of scientific naming.
Messi's International Career Continues to Inspire
The record is also his first such record in his international career with Argentina. Messi made his senior international debut against Hungary on 17 August 2005. He briefly announced his retirement from international football in 2016 but came back to lead Argentina through one of the most successful periods of the national team’s history.
Argentina won the 2021 Copa América under Messi and reached the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In 2024, the team won another Copa América title and he became one of the most successful players in international football history.
Messi also has many individual awards—eight Ballon d'Ors. His performances for Argentina have made him a modern-day figure in football and his club career continues with Inter Miami in the US.
Why the Discovery Matters Beyond Football
The name of a plant after Messi is an extraordinary sporting achievement but the significance of this is not only in terms of celebrity recognition. The endangered status of Salvia messii indicates how vulnerable plants in limited geographic areas are to such threats. The changing environment, habitat disturbance and other threats can affect specialised mountain vegetation so it is important to identify and assess them.
The association with Messi could also draw attention from football fans who may never have witnessed botanical research. More public interest may provide an opportunity to communicate the importance of biodiversity and the protection of endangered plants.
For Messi, the discovery is another landmark in a career littered with records, trophies and historic performances. Scientists too are interested in a seemingly unknown plant growing in the Peruvian Andes. In the end, Salvia messii ties football with botany so that it can be remembered as a special tribute and so that it is not only the plant that will survive.
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