Lionel Messi has partnered with Mastercard to release a new UEFA Champions League mascot kit, revealed in a brand activation featuring the World Cup winner and four young fans.
To announce the event, the US fintech firm unveiled a giant 15 X 7 metres street-art mural in central Paris featuring Messi and the four young children he met, who not-so coincidentally are also all named ‘Leo’.
The young fans were invited to join ‘Team Leo’ by Messi himself, who gave each of them the latest edition of the Mastercard-sponsored UEFA Champions League mascot kit.
“Sporting heroes possess a superpower, to inspire the next generation, and give them belief that they too can achieve greatness,” Mastercard senior vice-president of marketing and communications, Jeannette Liendo said.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest agency-related news sent straight to your inbox each morning
“That’s why Mastercard is proud to be working with the UEFA Foundation and Messi to give young football fans, like the ones pictured on the mural, the opportunity to feel like the stars of the show.”
A Mastercard ambassador since 2018, Messi’s participation in this latest campaign was inspired by the results or recent poll that suggested around 1 in 4 (24%) of parents would consider naming their child ‘Leo’, citing Messi as an exemplary role model for many young people.
Messi himself added: “Playing football has been my life’s passion, and nothing brings me more joy than passing on my love for the beautiful game to the next generation. I look back at my own career and only hope that I can do the same for the talent of tomorrow, many of whom I will be cheering on in years to come.”
