Lionel Messi announces the release of his Messi10 documentary 

Lionel Messi is a global icon. Known for his artistry on the football field, the Barcelona skipper is widely heralded as one of, if not the greatest, to have ever step foot on the pitch.

There's barely anything Lionel Messi cannot do, but besides the legacy he has built for himself over the years of footballing supremacy, he also owns a large empire from sponsorship and endorsements.

According to famous business magazine Forbes, Lionel Messi will join his fellow modern day great Cristiano Ronaldo next year as the only two footballers ever to reach the $1 billion net worth mark.

His lifetime deal with Adidas is worth an estimated $12 million per year, while other endorsements with companies such as MasterCard, Huawei and Gatorade make him the second-richest football player in the world.

And now, Lionel Messi has launched a documentary called 'Messi10', a narrative that is based on the values of artistic stunts combined with the piece of art contained within the world of sport.

Lionel Messi's documentary available on YouTube

Lionel Messi has a lifetime deal with Adidas

Lionel Messi's documentary, according to him, is a unique blend of the sport trickery and circus arts. Messi10 features the man himself as well, as part of the creative team.

It is directed by Argentinian filmmaker Agustina Macri, who upon the preparation of the documentary, revealed:

“Cirque du Soleil is synonym of audacity, and art, while Lionel Messi is the equivalent on the pitch. We aim to create a very special parallelism between two disciplines.”

It does indeed, infuse two disciplines that may not have thought of being attached with one another. Of course, only Lionel Messi could facilitate an idea such as this.

Taking to Instagram, he revealed that the documentary would have premiered in June, but due to the ongoing crisis struck by COVID-19, it is only being made available on his YouTube channel. Lionel Messi's post read:

"MessiCirque was scheduled to launch in Buenos Aires in June. Although we can't yet come together in person, I want to take this opportunity to share some images of the special performance that is now available on the show's YouTube channel. #Messi10"

Rakuten TV, the European VoD platform, who have a sponsorship deal with Lionel Messi too, have the distribution rights for the show across Europe.

Lionel Messi took to Instagram to announce his documentary

On their official site, Messi10 announced:

"Messi 10 by Cirque du Soleil, presented by Rakuten, acrobatically uncovers the athleticism, devotion and brilliance that bridges the world of football and circus by celebrating the magic behind the greatest footballer of our time."

A total of 46 performers take the stage during an euphoric 90-minute thrill ride, encapsulating physical performance, poetic wonder and a beautiful piece of surround sound. It was also announced that there would be a world tour in 2020, which is sure to not happen.

Lionel Messi has another extraterrestrial record in sight, with him just a goal shy of the 700-mark for both club and country. Barcelona next take on Leganes in the La Liga on Tuesday.