Scientists have named a newly discovered plant species in Peru after Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, in a tribute that links the colours of the Argentina national team with a rare Andean flower.
The plant, officially named _Salvia messii_, was discovered in the Andes mountains of central and southern Peru and has been classified as Endangered.
According to the researchers, the species produces distinctive light blue and white flowers resembling the colours of Argentina’s national team jersey, a feature associated with Messi’s country.
Salvia messii belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae and is described as an aromatic shrub that can grow to about 1.5 metres tall. It thrives on rocky, dry mountain slopes at elevations between 2,000 and 2,400 metres above sea level.
The discovery was documented in a study published in the October 2026 edition of the scientific journal Phytotaxa, titled “A remarkable new Salvia (Lamiaceae) from the ecotonal vegetation surrounding the western Andean relict forests of Peru”.
The research was led by Paúl Gonzáles of the Natural History Museum of the National University of San Marcos, alongside Argentinian researcher Rolando Uría and biologist Jean Capcha Ramos of Huarango Nature.
The authors noted that the species has a highly restricted distribution and faces serious threats to its survival from climate change, prolonged droughts and forest fires, prompting its classification as Endangered (EN) under IUCN criteria.
In botanical nomenclature, the suffix “i” in messii indicates the species is named in honour of a person, in this case translating to “Messi’s”.
Messi, who captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and currently plays for Inter Miami, has previously inspired the names of several animal and insect species. The discovery of Salvia messii is the first time a plant species has been formally named after him, adding a scientific tribute to his legacy beyond football.
The researchers say documenting the plant is a crucial first step towards its conservation, as many endemic species in the western Andean relict forests remain poorly studied and increasingly vulnerable to environmental pressures.
