Bengaluru: As the FIFA World Cup kicks off today, Lionel Messi debuted a new AI-generated look. The Argentine captain shared an ad of him turning his hair blue and white, the team’s colours, using ChatGPT.
The partnership with Open AI is no surprise as AI companies are getting more involved as sponsors at sporting events.
In the video, Messi speaks to the chatbot in Spanish, asking it to dye his hair the colours of the Argentine national team. “But make it natural,” he says.
The caption included the exact prompt fans can use to dye their hair in the colours of their country’s flag. The reel has over 42 million views on Instagram.
What makes the campaign standout is a comment Messi made about AI in January.
“I don’t use ChatGPT… In fact, I don’t use AI; not because I’m against it, I just haven’t got into it or figured it out,” he told Luzu TV.
He added that his wife, Antonella Rocuzzo, is the household’s actual power user—she uses the chatbot for everything, including recipes.
Five months later, he is the face of the product.
Messi isn’t the first footballer to arrive at an AI company’s door. In December last year, Perplexity announced a global partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Ronaldo relies on Perplexity in high-stakes moments, including award speeches and major announcements,” the company said in a press release. It added that the Portuguese player is an investor in the startup.
Also read: Behind Messi’s 900th goal is a three-year game plan for Argentina’s World Cup bid
Player vs team
While Messi’s ChatGPT deal is a personal endorsement, his national team has gone further.
The Argentine Football Association has signed Google’s Gemini as its main global sponsor, with the logo appearing on the official training kit.
But the agreement goes beyond branding. “Google Gemini will also be the test bench to analyse in-depth the plays, fitness, performance and the statistics of the team as well as their opponents — almost like an extended brain of the team,” Wired reported.
The two AI rivals have found a way to occupy the same dressing room.
Google has made similar deals with the United States and France national teams for the tournament.
Football isn’t the only sport where this is playing out. In January, Google’s Gemini signed a three-year IPL sponsorship deal worth Rs 270 crore with the BCCI.
The Women’s Premier League signed a two-year deal with ChatGPT in November last year.