Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is the star of a new promotional video for Expo 2020 Dubai. The Argentine forward and many other people are filmed passing a football around the world, starting in Dubai and taking in locations including the UK, India and Kenya. The message being that the universal language of football can connect people across the planet and that we can achieve much more when we work together. "A football team can only succeed by working together, and the same is true of humanity," said Messi, who was appointed an Expo 2020 global ambassador in 2016. "When people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds come together we can better address global challenges and create a brighter future for generations to come.” This campaign is the first to feature Messi, and as part of the initiative, Expo 2020 will give away 2,020 footballs to children in Jordan, Kenya and the Philippines, totalling 6,060 balls. "As undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest footballers, Lionel Messi embodies Expo 2020’s global role as a facilitator of new ideas, innovation and progress," said Sanjive Khosla, Deputy Chief Sales and Marketing, Expo 2020 Dubai. "The new campaign video uses football to show that when we connect and collaborate, we can build a brighter tomorrow together.” The first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, Expo 2020 Dubai kicks off in October 2020 for a six-month celebration held under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.