67th Ballon D'Or Photocall At Theatre Du Chatelet In Paris© GettyImages

Lionel Messi secures coveted Super Bowl ad that could cost $14 million

Debatably one of the best things about the Super Bowl are commercials


Jovita Trujillo - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
JANUARY 25, 2024 6:59 PM EST

Super Bowl LVIII is right around the corner on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Every year, football fans gather around their TV to watch two of the best teams in the NFL battle it out on the field. But the game isn’t the only entertaining thing about the game - the annual spectacle is known for its commercials.

Super Bowl LVII   Previews© GettyImages

Super Bowl commercials usually star famous faces, who take home a huge payday with booking fees and residuals, and one famous athlete has a spot - Lionel Messi.

The Argentinian World Cup winner and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will star in a 60-second advert for Michelob Ultra, and two teasers dropped on Thursday.

In the first teaser, the soccer player orders a beer with some friends from a smiley bartender, and in the second, he is running down the beach playing soccer with an adorable dog.

© GettyImages

Last year, Super Bowl commercial slots sold for $ 7 million for a 30-second ad, so going off that, the one-minute advert could cost as much as $14 million. Variety revealed in 2021 that some of the stars in that year’s ads made $7 million or more.

This year’s Super Bowl is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 PM Eastern time. The national anthem will be sung by Country Music Hall of Famer Reba McEntire, with Post Malone and R&B star Andra Day, respectively performing the “Star-Spangled Banner,” “America The Beautiful” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Usher will be taking the reigns as the halftime performer.

It’s the first time Messi will star in a Super Bowl ad. While the soccer player has always been a global star, his move to Inter Miami has helped revolutionize soccer in the United States.

The 36-year-old kicked off Inter Miami’s preseason tour on January 19 in El Salvador for a friendly match against the national team at the Cuscatlan Stadium. His arrival made a little girl cry who received tickets for the game.

Their last preseason game is in Florida on February 15 against, Newell’s Old Boys, at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

The MLS season will officially start on Wednesday, February 21, when Inter Miami hosts Real Salt Lake at DRV PNK Stadium.