World Cup 2026 and Argentina star Lionel Messi has appeared in a promo video for the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie.
The advertisement has gone viral across social media platforms, sparking conversations about the project.
What happens in the video?
In the advertisement, Messi walks into a coffee shop that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is sitting in.
Messi is looking for Spider-Man using the ‘spideytracker’ – and Parker is starstruck.
The latter quickly disappears after hearing that Messi is looking for Spider-Man and re-emerges in his superhero suit to impress the football icon.
Parker then proceeds to take Messi for a swing across the city.
Messi’s appeal
Messi is one of the most popular football players in the world, if not the most popular player.
Since FIFA World Cup 2026 is currently happening and the new Spider-Man movie is premiering soon, this crossover has drawn a huge amount of attention from viewers.
The advertisement became an overnight sensation with over 28 million views on X and 13 million views on TikTok – and views are still climbing.
It is rumoured that Messi was paid $15 million for his 20-second cameo in the advert, although nothing has been confirmed officially.
The new Spider-Man movie is set to premiere on July 31, 2026.
This advertisement has not only drawn in Marvel fans but also football fans across the globe, therefore contributing to the success of the promo video.
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Fan reactions
The reaction to the promo video was overwhelmingly positive.
Many fans enjoyed the comedic aspect of the advert, especially Messi’s comedic confusion.
One user commented humourously: “Messi will return in Avengers Doomsday.”
Fans were even theorising whether Messi would genuinely feature in the new movie.
However, it was later confirmed that Messi will not appear in the much-anticipated blockbuster – his appearance was just for the promotion of this movie.
The advert also left some fans questioning the budget used for the marketing of the movie, since affording Messi would have cost an exorbitant amount.
Another user commented on TikTok: “Messi said 4 words and got paid 4 million.”
Other fans commented on how Marvel should have gone with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo instead, the well-known rival of Messi.
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James Mario Ajero 
Newsjustnews writers 
Elan Castanares