Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo. Those are two names that have defined multiple generations of football. Starting in the early 2000s, both still remain the two most famous active footballers on the planet. They share a staggering 13 Ballon d’Ors between them.
For a long time, it was a dream for football fans to see them together on the same team. That is unlikely to happen, with both in the twilight of their careers. Perhaps we will see them team up in some charity games after retirement someday.
In recent years, we have seen them share the screen on a few occasions though. And every time, it ends up breaking the internet.
Before the 2022 World Cup, Messi and Ronaldo were in a Louis Vuitton advert. An iconic picture of them playing chess with each other was posted before the tournament. It earned a combined 83 million likes on both their Instagram accounts.
This time around, LEGO have decided to go even bigger. They have put together not just a picture, but a proper advert with Messi and Ronaldo in it. And to go one better, it also features Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
All four are the faces of their national teams and contenders for the 2026 World Cup. And in the advert, we see them vying over a LEGO version of the trophy.
It is the kind of advert that would not have felt possible a decade ago. But with the rise of social media and the growing need to make internet-breaking stuff, it was only a matter of time before Messi and Ronaldo combined for a major brand like LEGO.
All four players featured in the advert will be getting special LEGO sets and, of course, there is going to be one of the World Cup trophy as well.