Everybody loves Messi. But this ad flips that – showing Messi loving someone else for once.
Sony and Marvel’s new promo for Spider-Man: Brand New Day skips the obvious superhero-meets-athlete setup. Instead, the world’s greatest footballer walks into an ordinary New York diner hunting for Spider-Man, and runs straight into a starstruck, fumbling Peter Parker. Messi has no clue he’s talking to the actual web-slinger. Parker can barely get a sentence out.
The 39-second spot leans fully into that mismatch – Messi trying to make sense of an overexcited Parker’s rambling, before Spider-Man finally shows up and the two swing off together, hero and hero, fan and idol, all in one frame.
The timing is deliberate. With the film hitting theatres July 31, 2026, the promo drops right in the middle of the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage – peak visibility for a player still chasing history. Messi already holds the record for most World Cup goals scored, and after leading Argentina to their third title in 2022, expectations are sky-high for a repeat.
Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, Messi’s endorsement portfolio has ranged from Lay’s and Lego to OpenAI and Duracell. But this one stands apart – it isn’t a typical brand tie-up. It’s a crossover built on a simple, relatable joke: even the greatest of all time has heroes worth chasing.
Spider-Man swings in on Messi’s biggest stage. Football’s icon plays fan for once – and it works.
