Lionel Messi, triumphant on the global football stage, is now gearing up for American football's grandest event.
The Inter Miami star, celebrated World Cup champion, and renowned football icon are set to take center stage in a 60-second Super Bowl ad for Michelob Ultra, as announced by the brand on Thursday. A teaser offers a glimpse of Messi casually ordering a beer at a beachside bar, capturing his reaction when the tap unexpectedly halts.
This debut Super Bowl commercial marks a significant addition to Messi's expansive advertising footprint in both the United States and across the world. The highly anticipated game is scheduled for February 11 in Las Vegas.
"Having the GOAT himself, Lionel Messi, and the Super Bowl as a stage to kick it all off and start the year with a bang, that gets us incredibly fired up," Ricardo Marques, Ultra’s vice president of marketing, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Messi needs no introduction. The power that he has, the impact that he had upon his arrival in Miami, in the world of football and beyond, he's clearly a cultural icon right now."
Messi's partnership with Michelob Ultra's parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, began in 2020. The Super Bowl spot is part of the beer’s sizable investment in football. The ad follows the brand being revealed as the global beer sponsor of this summer’s Copa America.
It’s also expected Ultra will partner with the men's World Cup when the tournament is played in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in 2026 as Messi's Argentina aims to defend their title.
"When you put it all together, we clearly have a very exciting road ahead of us in the context of football," Marques said.
Messi is a marketing dream with giant brands such as Adidas, Gatorade, Hard Rock International, Royal Caribbean, and Apple TV among others all involved with him. His social media footprint is enormous, with nearly 500 million followers on Instagram.
Anheuser-Busch routinely spends millions on Super Bowl ads; last year's game brought an asking price of as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot, with companies paying it to be on U.S. advertising's biggest stage and with hopes of reaching an expected audience of more than 100 million.
The beverage giant had a Michelob Ultra spot as part of last year's Super Bowl lineup, also with a sports theme - it was set at Bushwood Country Club, the fictional country club in "Caddyshack," and starred tennis great Serena Williams, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current TV analyst Tony Romo, Miami Heat standout Jimmy Butler, golfer Rickie Fowler, football player Alex Morgan, and boxer Canelo Álvarez.
Messi has more than 800 goals for clubs and country, among the greatest scorers. He scored twice in the 2022 World Cup final that Argentina won against France on penalty kicks.
Messi is a four-time Champions League winner, an Olympic gold medalist, and has been part of 44 trophy wins, considered the most in football history.
"The artistry that he brings to the pitch brings fans from all walks of life," Marques said. "That's why we're excited about Lionel Messi, his partnership, and where football is going in the U.S."