Mengniu partners with Messi ahead of the World Cup

Argentinian star and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi will serve as a brand ambassador for the Chinese dairy products manufacturer Mengniu Group, adding to his large portfolio of partners, which includes brands and companies like Adidas, Huawei, Pepsico or Tata Motors.

Mengniu Group agreed a deal in December to become an official sponsor of the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia, when it will serve as the official drinkable yoghurt and pre-packaged ice cream of the national team tournament, and will also be listed as the competition’s official milk and powdered milk.

27 of the company’s products will have the right to conduct marketing campaigns related to the World Cup, and Mengniu has announced that it intends to spend US$300 million on marketing campaigns centring on the event. Having the best player in the world as an ambassador during the competition will certainly be a great addition to the company’s marketing efforts during the time.

According to the Red Card 2018: China Digital Football Awards study by sports consultancy Mailman, which analyses European soccer’s digital performance in China, Messi has overtaken Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo to become the most influential player online in the country.