Lionel Messi’s Production Company 525 Rosario Taps CAA’s Crystal Caicedo As Head Of Development

EXCLUSIVE: 525 Rosario, the production company launched in September by global soccer superstar Lionel Messi, has made its first major executive appointments. CAA Global TV agent Crystal Caicedo has been named VP of Content Development. Additionally, María Sol Messi will join the company as Senior Director of Brand Strategy and Creative.

Headquartered in Miami and LA and named after the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s Argentina hometown, 525 Rosario was formed as a JV with Smuggler Entertainment (Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend and Messi Meets America), operating under the supervision of the Messi family, with Smuggler’s Tim Pastore as CEO.

The hire of Caicedo, who has been based in Miami, fits into 525 Rosario’s stated goals of delivering family-oriented programming, cultural narratives, and inspirational stories that resonate globally across film, television, and other media platforms.

As a Global TV Agent at CAA, Caicedo represented such high-profile clients as Salma Hayek and her Ventanarosa Productions, and Eugenio Derbez. She packaged and sold projects to leading platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+ and worked on such series as Netflix’s Selena and Griselda. Caicedo, one of the last remaining Global TV agents at CAA as the agency pulled back in that area over the past year, is being tasked with leveraging her global relationships and creative expertise to lead content development for 525 Rosario.

Starting in January 2025 María Sol Messi, who is Lionel’s sister, will lead 525 Rosario’s brand strategy across content production and corporate initiatives. She will also serve on the company’s greenlight committee for new initiatives. María Sol Messi was previously Chief Creative Officer at Stars Connections and served as Brand Manager for The Messi Store.

“We are thrilled to welcome Crystal and María Sol to 525 Rosario as we expand into 2025,” Pastore said. “Crystal’s deep industry knowledge and unparalleled creative instincts, paired with María Sol’s visionary approach to brand strategy, position us to continue redefining the media landscape. Together, they embody the values of excellence and innovation that are at the heart of our company.”