Messi to be first Global Ambassador for Dubai Expo 2020

Announcement comes after star pledged his future to Barcelona after winning fifth Ballon d’Or

13 January 2016

Dubai: Lionel Messi has been announced as the first Global Ambassador for Dubai’s World Expo, taking on an international role as a champion for Expo 2020 Dubai.

Messi won the coveted Ballon d’Or for a record fifth time on Monday night, capping an outstanding 2015 for the genius No.10 who was a vital part of the Barcelona team that claimed five trophies last year – La Liga, the Copa Del Rey, the Champions League, European Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.

“Expos are all about focusing attention on issues of global interest and global concern to help imagine a better future,” said Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Director General of Expo 2020.

“What better way to do this than by recruiting allies among people who are already working towards better future outcomes?”

Expo 2020 is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. Under the theme ‘Connecting Minds Creating the Future’, the international event aims to bring together hundreds of countries and millions of people to celebrate human ingenuity.

“Lionel Messi’s performances on the football pitch bring people together, and as a result his influence reaches far beyond it. He is the ideal person to be our first global ambassador. He overcame youthful health challenges to achieve his dreams of international excellence through hard work; making him an inspiration. He is perfectly placed to reach out to young people around the world, bringing them together to join us as we work towards hosting our World Expo in 2020 ” H.E. Al Hashimy explained.

Expo 2020 Global Ambassadors will be recruited from leading figures in sports, arts, music, culture and media, as well as international thought leaders in the fields of architecture and design, science and technology, business, economics, education, philanthropy and sustainability.

Ambassadors will travel the world, talking to stakeholders to explore connections between their work and that of Expo 2020, along with potential opportunities for collaboration and engagement.

The organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai said they will be making further ambassadorial appointments over the coming months.

The Dubai announcement comes as Messi pledged to end his career at his beloved Barcelona.

“I want to finish my career at home, and my home is Barca,” he said after receiving the award.

If his heartfelt post-ceremony declaration is right, Messi will disappoint Manchester City, Paris St-Germain and the rest of the mega-clubs hoping to buy up the final third of his career.

“Football changes so much,” he said while carrying the huge golden globe trophy. “A year ago, we were all getting criticised, and we ended up winning nearly everything. My intention is to terminate my career where I started it - in Barcelona.”

With inputs from agencies