Legendary Georgian chess champion Nona Gaprindashvili received a signed Argentina national team jersey from football star Lionel Messi on Monday, marking the latest exchange of gifts between these two prominent sports figures. Georgian Ambassador to Argentina Gvaram Khandamishvili presented the autographed shirt to Gaprindashvili.

This gesture follows Messi’s 2021 gift of a signed FC Barcelona jersey to the five-time World Champion for her 80th birthday. In return, Gaprindashvili presented the footballer with a custom jewelry chess set commemorating Argentina’s 2021 Copa America triumph.

Named Georgia’s greatest female athlete of the 20th century in 1999, Gaprindashvili has served as Honorary President of the Georgian National Olympic Committee since 1996. Among her accolades, Tbilisi’s Chess Palace was renamed in her honor in 2001, and she received the Order of Excellence of Georgia in 2015.