Lionel Messi appears alongside Tom Holland in a new commercial for the upcoming film Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The Argentina and Inter Miami CF forward is featured in a spot that pairs the soccer star with Holland’s portrayal of Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego.
In the ad, Messi walks into a coffee shop and encounters Holland in civilian mode as Parker. The 39-year-old is shown telling Parker that he has joined a citywide hunt for Spider-Man, using a tracker on his phone, according to the commercial.
Parker briefly steps into a back room and is replaced moments later by Spider-Man. Messi speaks only a few lines before the pair are shown embarking on an impromptu web-slinging tour of the downtown skyline, a sequence that moves the action from the café to the city above.
The spot does not assign Messi a comic-book franchise role; the commercial highlights the cameo rather than recasting the soccer star as a superhero. The appearance continues a recent trend of high-profile athletes participating in cinematic promotional work.
Messi’s cameo is the latest in a series of advertising appearances tied to major international soccer events. The Argentina captain has been featured in several big-budget commercials for various brands and products in the lead-up to the World Cup, as noted in coverage of the new Spider-Man advertisement.
