- The Argentine and Barcelona forward was named as the Expo 2020 global ambassador in 2016
- The message of the promo video is that the universal language of football can connect people across the planet and that we can achieve much more when we work together
- This campaign is the first to feature Messi, and as part of the initiative, Expo 2020 will give away 2,020 footballs to children in Jordan, Kenya and the Philippines
- Expo 2020 Dubai begins in October 2020 for a six-month period held under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’
As USA for Africa once sang, “We are the world” and by working together we make the difference, that’s exactly the message both Expo 2020 Dubai and Lionel Messi want to share in their new promo video for the global event.
The video starts with Messi, in a Nissan Patrol, (one of the partners of the event), heading to the Expo 2020 site in Dubai and kicking a yellow ball to the Louvre Abu Dhabi that then is passed to Asia to an Indian city, to London and finally to Africa, where Messi arrives once again and is seen playing football with a group of kids.
The overarching message of the promotional video is that like football connects people across the world and we can also connect and achieve so much more if all the countries come together and work with each other.
Lionel Messi said: “A football team can only succeed by working together, and the same is true of humanity. When people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds come together we can better address global challenges and create a brighter future for generations to come.”
Leo Messi kicks it off for Expo 2020 Dubai in support of unity and collaboration. #Expo2020 #hayyakum2020 pic.twitter.com/1d2G5obsdg
— Expo 2020 Dubai (@expo2020dubai) May 6, 2019
This is the first time Lionel Messi has appeared in a campaign for Expo 2020 since he was appointed the brand ambassador in 2016. As part of the campaign, Expo 2020 will also give 2,020 durable footballs to children in Jordan, Kenya and the Philippines, totalling 6,060 balls.
“As undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest footballers, Lionel Messi embodies Expo 2020’s global role as a facilitator of new ideas, innovation and progress,” said Sanjive Khosla, Expo 2020 Dubai’s deputy chief of sales and marketing.
Khosla added that “the new campaign video uses football to show that when we connect and collaborate, we can build a brighter tomorrow together.”
The video, Messi’s first with Expo, was created by a multinational team and includes music with an Arabic melody and a call for togetherness in an African dialect.
