Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi has joined environmental project Join The Planet backing an initiative to clean the Paraná River in his hometown of Rosario. The 2022 Qatar-winner announced the collaboration on his 500 million-follower Instagram account, while Join The Planet released the details through a live stream this Friday with founder Thomas Kimber.

“Our goal is to bring awareness to millions of people around us that we must protect the planet,” said Kimber. “Messi’s involvement means reaching millions of people who are not part of the environmental discussion.” He added the Argentine star felt very passionately about helping Rosario. 

“A lot of communities don’t have the infrastructure to deal with waste and it ends up in the water,” said Kimber. The organization works with local foundations and communities to collect fishing nets, ropes, bottles, and other plastics, which they turn into works of art. 

Its first project is a limited run of Messi’s left boot replicas, signed by the Rosario-born star. “We’re working with Fundación Rosario to make it the starting point,” said Kimber, who insisted other international celebrities are expected to join the project and replicate the work done in Rosario around the world.

Each boot replica will include a traceability system with a QR code, allowing buyers to see where and when the material was collected and the steps it took to be turned into the replica. The site will also inform buyers of the CO2 emissions involved in collecting, manufacturing and shipping the piece. 

The boots will also come linked with blockchain technology to digital certificates of authenticity.

The pre-sale of the limited-edition boots will start on March 15 through an event at PlanetReFi’s website. Ten percent of proceeds from boot sales will go towards creating the Join The Planet foundation and supporting other organizations working to restore the environment.