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WATCH: Animated Lionel Messi Stars in World Cup Commercial

“Heart of a Lio”

Argentina v Haiti - International Friendly Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images

Lionel Messi will attempt to conquer Russia in this summer’s FIFA World Cup, and to get you properly hyped up, Gatorade has made an animated commercial that recaps his entire life in about four minutes.

It starts with him as a baby (it’s implied he gains supernatural footballing abilities from juggling his first tear on his foot), goes through his entire childhood and career, and ends with him on the plane to Russia:

What’s impressive about this short video, called “Heart of a Lio,” is that it more-or-less accurately reflects real things. Exaggerated to fit within the cartoony style, but kinda accurate:

  1. Messi was underestimated as a kid for being short, but wowed everyone with how awesome he was. No word if the opposition coach instructed his entire team to build a human Lego structure in front of the goal to stop him, though.
  2. Messi had a disorder that, if left untreated, would have meant he would not have grown properly. A ghost from the future did not provide him inspiration in that tough time, though.
  3. Barcelona did sign him up, although not immediately after watching him for the first time on video. The actual story is a bit more interesting, with Charly Rexach having to convince the board the young player was worth paying for his expensive treatments, and famously signing a “contract” on a paper napkin with Messi’s da.
  4. We hear of the narration of his his famous “Diego Maradona style” goal against Getafe, and we see him flick the ball to himself before scoring as he did against Arsenal in 2011.
  5. Messi did nutmeg a ton of players, although of course no anti-nutmeg technology is permitted.
  6. People do try to blind him with green lasers, which makes them terrible people
  7. Messi did shoot just wide in the last World Cup final. Although it’s not proven an ancient Greek wind god made him miss, I think it’s a plausible explanation
  8. Messi did have to drag his moribund team into the World Cup with a hat-trick over 9,000 feet above sea level. His opponents though, were not 50-foot titans but the Ecuadorian national team.

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