Lionel Messi has surprised fans by appearing alongside Tom Holland in a promotional spot for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the upcoming fourth installment of the franchise. The video, released on June 30, 2026, quickly went viral as it merges the worlds of football and Hollywood.
The 20-second clip depicts Tom Holland as Peter Parker in a New York café, shocked to find Messi entering. Messi, holding a phone with a “Spider Tracker,” indicates he is looking for Spider-Man. Parker transforms into the superhero and takes Messi swinging through the city, with the footballer screaming in a humorous tone Source: portafolioco. The dialogue shifts between English and Spanish, highlighting Messi’s limited English Source: excelsiormx.
The collaboration is a marketing move by Sony Pictures to leverage the global attention of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Argentina is playing Source: infobae. Although Messi does not appear in the film itself, his involvement underscores the crossover appeal between sports and cinema. Rumors, unconfirmed by Sony or Messi, suggest he was paid $15 million for the appearance Source: elcolombiano.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and continues Peter Parker’s story four years after the events of No Way Home, with him living alone after his identity was erased. The film stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and others Source: hoydo. Release dates vary by source: some report July 29 in Latin America and July 31 globally, while others cite July 30 in the US Source: excelsiormx .
“La escena cambia cuando Lionel Messi entra inesperadamente al establecimiento, provocando que el personaje interrumpa la llamada para acercarse a saludar al futbolista.”
“en redes sociales y algunos medios ha tomado fuerza la versión de haber cobrado alrededor de 15 millones de dólares por aparecer durante los 20 segundos.”
“Todo el diálogo se realiza en inglés y español dado que se sabe Messi no domina el inglés, sin embargo, esto le permite tener un mayor alcance.”
“La campaña acompaña el estreno de la nueva película de Spiderman, previsto para fines de julio, con llegada a América Latina antes del lanzamiento global en Estados Unidos.”