December 26, (THEWILL) – In a recent advertisement, the Argentina Football Association thanked Lionel Messi, for his valiant efforts during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, which won them their first trophy in over three decades.
In the commercial, a small boy can be seen running down the stairs at the beginning of the video before becoming enthralled by a sizable gift that is wrapped in red ribbons.
He cautiously opens the large box that gradually unveils the World Cup trophy, a shining gold work of art, contained within. In a solemn and grateful tone, the boy says: “Gracias, Papa Lionel (Thank you, Papa Lionel),” as he picks up the prize and kisses it.
It is as timely as it is creative. Santa Claus is commonly referred to as “Papa Noel” in Argentina, but for the advert, that title was changed in honour of Messi, the captain of Argentina’s national team, who finally brought honour to his country with the prize that had eluded him for so long.
The official Twitter account of the Argentine national team shared the video on Twitter with the caption: “Thank you, Papa Lionel! The most precious gift is already at home. Congratulations to all the Argentine people.” It has been viewed over 2.1 million times, with more than 21,000 retweets and 82,000 likes.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
