Tasteless but expensive: luxury gold cell phones honor Messi and Ronaldo

The luxury brand Caviar is celebrating the 2026 World Cup with exclusive special editions. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra appear as strictly limited collector’s items in honor of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Limited editions for the 2026 World Cup

The luxury brand Caviar has presented a new collection to coincide with the end of the 2026 World Cup. The range honors stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with modified versions of current phones. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra as well as the Apple iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are used. Both devices are limited to 19 copies each worldwide. The case backs consist of hand-painted portraits made using the cloisonné enamel technique. In addition, the frames, outlines and special decorations are completely covered with 24 carat gold.

Design and technical basis

As on the Caviar website can see (via TechEBlog), the look of the phones is based on the colors of the players’ respective national teams. The model for the Argentine Messi uses the colors white and sky blue. The design is rounded off by the number ten on the back and various national symbols.

The iPhone 17 Pro for Ronaldo, on the other hand, uses the Portuguese colors red and green. The optical concept is combined here with the number seven, the national coat of arms and geometric lines. The technical equipment of the basic devices remains untouched in both variants, which is why all the usual functions are retained.

A special feature concerns the Android device, as the underlying Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is not yet officially on the market. The presentation of the foldable phone is not expected until the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22nd. Caviar is already accepting orders for a case whose technical core is kept secret.

Prices and accessories

The costs for the changed design are high. The model for Ronaldo based on the Apple iPhone 17 Pro starts at $11,410 (around 10,191 euros). The foldable Samsung smartphone for Messi costs at least 13,130 dollars (around 11,727 euros) due to the more expensive basic device. If you want more storage space, you will have to expect additional charges. In addition to the phone, buyers will receive an accessories package.

These include, among other things, special packaging, a gold-plated key, a Caviar coin and a multi-stage certificate of authenticity. Individual engravings are also possible upon request. The high price does not offer any technical added value, but rather turns the phone into a collector’s item – at least if you live in Dubai and no longer know how to spend your money.