Scientists have named a newly discovered plant species in Peru after Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, warning that climate change and forest fires threaten its survival.
The plant, named Salvia messii, is native to the Andes mountains of central and southern Peru and has been classified as endangered.
According to The Athletic, the plant produces light blue and white flowers resembling the colours of Argentina’s national football team jersey.
The discovery was detailed in a study published in the October 2026 edition of the scientific journal Phytotaxa.
The study, titled “A remarkable new Salvia (Lamiaceae) from the ecotonal vegetation surrounding the western Andean relict forests of Peru”, documents the plant’s characteristics and habitat.
Salvia messii belongs to the mint family and can grow up to 1.5 metres tall.
It thrives on rocky, dry mountain slopes at elevations between 2,000 and 2,400 metres above sea level.
The researchers said environmental pressures, including climate change and forest fires, pose threats to the plant’s continued existence.
The research was led by Paúl Gonzáles of the Natural History Museum at the National University of San Marcos in Peru, alongside Argentine researcher Rolando Uría and biologist Jean Capcha Ramos of Huarango Nature.
The plant’s scientific name follows botanical naming conventions, under which the suffix “i” is commonly used to honour an individual.
Messi, widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The naming links the football icon to a plant whose survival now depends on the protection of its fragile mountain habitat.
