Lionel Messi to star in Super Bowl XLIII ad for Michelob Ultra showing Inter Miami star buying low-calorie beer on a secluded beach in 60-second spot… which could cost around $14million
- Anheuser-Busch released a teaser for the ad on Thursday. The place could cost $14 million
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Taking the MLS by storm was one thing. Now Lionel Messi has his sights set on Super Bowl LVIII.
The Inter Miami star, World Cup champion and global soccer icon will headline a Super Bowl ad for Michelob Ultra, the brand announced Thursday. A teaser of what will be a 60-second spot shows Messi ordering a beer while walking to a bar, and his reaction when the tap stops flowing.
Notably, the spot could cost around $14 million based on ad rates for Super Bowl XLVII in 2023.
Meanwhile, Messi and Inter Miami have embarked on the next leg of the club’s globetrotting pre-season, holding a special birthday party on board for newcomer Luis Suarez. The former Barcelona forward turned 37 on Wednesday and was presented with a cake while his teammates sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in Spanish.
Having already played in El Salvador and Texas, the Herons are scheduled to play twice in Saudi Arabia next week – including a clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on February 1. The Super Bowl is on February 11 in Las Vegas, although it is unclear whether he will attend.
Anheuser-Busch released a teaser for the ad on Thursday. The place could cost $14 million
Lionel Messi is seen leering at a bar during a 60-second spot for Michelob Ultra
A bartender smiles back at Lionel Messi during a Super Bowl LVIII ad for Michelob
Messi’s partnership with Michelob Ultra’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, began in 2020. The Super Bowl spot is part of the beer’s significant investment in football. The ad follows the brand’s unveiling as the global beer sponsor of this summer’s Copa America.
Ultra is also expected to partner with the Men’s World Cup when it comes to the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026 – when Messi and Argentina will aim to defend their title.
Messi is a marketing dream with giant brands like Adidas, Gatorade, Hard Rock International, Royal Caribbean and Apple TV all involved. 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 in an asking price of a whopping $7 million for a 30-second spot, with companies paying this to be on the biggest stage in American advertising and with the hope of an expected audience of more than 100 million to reach.
Lionel Messi flashed a wide grin as he boarded a team plane to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday
The beverage giant ran a Michelob Ultra spot as part of its Super Bowl lineup last year, 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 Alvarez.
Messi has scored more than 800 goals in his career for club and country, making him one of the greatest scorers in the history of the sport. He scored twice in the most recent World Cup final in 2022, which Argentina won on penalties against France.
Messi is a four-time Champions League winner, Olympic gold medalist and has won a total of 44 trophies, considered the most in football history.