Mastercard De-Ages Lionel Messi With CGI To Walk Viewers Back To His Childhood

Video screenshot via Mastercard

Lionel Messi reminisces his start in soccer as an uncertain boy from Argentina in a new Mastercard campaign, with the help of his younger self.

While it could have stopped at casting a young lookalike, Mastercard went a step further and digitally de-aged the Paris Saint-Germain forward to who he was 20 years ago for a more authentic revisiting of Messi’s Priceless memories.

Video screenshot via Mastercard

The emotive film begins with Messi’s adult self walking out into the stadium. Viewers are quickly transported to a memory of his 13-year-old self flying to Spain on his own, anxious about what the future might bring and if the world would come to accept his talents.

The spot ends on a stirring note as both versions of Messi meet each other and find that they still have something in common.

It was created in time for the UEFA Champions League men’s final between Liverpool and Real Madrid on May 28. Mastercard, one of the tournament’s key sponsors, enlisted advertising agency McCann New York for the creative.

Check out some behind-the-scenes takes, because the deepfaking is uncanny.

[via B&T and Shots.net, videos and screenshots via Mastercard]