Leo Messi is oft-feted for his amazing displays of skill on the football pitch. The Argentinian’s other-worldly skill has stood out countless times when he has dribbled past mere, mortal defenders, leaving much of the world to bask in the awe of Messi’s magic. In fact, sometimes, fans are left wondering if Messi has divine providence aiding him or even if Messi is an alien, a robot, because no human can be that good.
In Qatari company Ooredoo’s latest advert, we get a glimpse of what it would be if Messi were a robot. The ad begins with a group of street kids enjoying a lively game of football in an urban environment. However, some older youngsters arrive and proceed to intimidate and overpower their younger counterparts in a game of football.
Having been watching from the sidelines, Messi is called over by one of the younger street kids to help them out, which the Argentine does with aplomb. The Argentine unleashes a dazzling array of tricks that we have become accustomed to on the football pitch, although there are some parkour feats in addition, which offer a hint at Messi’s ‘speciality’.
Pretty soon, the younger group of kids has won the game and mob Messi in celebration. In a plot twist, the ‘real’ Lionel Messi happens to be jooging by and notices the celebration. As the two Messi’s meet and face off, the Messi that was helping the children pulls back his hood to reveal that he is a robot – a rather life-like android, except for a mass of wires and integrated chips at the back of his head.
Ooredoo, who specialize in telecommunication, reveal their tagline to ‘liberate your potential’, although whether Messi would become better were he an android is questionable, given how incredibly awesome his skills on the football pitch already are.
