Messi and Ronaldo. These two words would light up any football fan’s eyes. They share 12 Ballon d’Ors between them and have broken more records than the books can keep track of. However, the one thing they haven’t done is play together in the same team.
Ronaldo’s once-fantastic homecoming to Manchester United has turned into a nightmare; last week’s rumours that CR7 might join Messi at Paris Saint-Germain were extremely exciting, however, they were quickly dispelled.
Fear not though, as another French institution has succeeded in doing what PSG could not.
Louis Vuitton has pulled off the unbelievable, as they brought the two footballing GOATs to pose with each other for one photograph in the name of a brand deal.
In the photograph, the two illustrious football players are seen playing chess with each other while intensely focusing on their upcoming moves. The game of chess is being played on top of a special LV Damier attaché case.
The tagline for the campaign is “Victory is a State of Mind.” The photo was posted by both Messi and Ronaldo on their social media handles with the same caption.
Of course, since they are who they are, they both quickly broke the record for the fastest photos to reach 10 Million likes on Instagram, and would almost definitely break the record for the most-liked photo ever too.
4 Unbelievable Facts About The Monumental Ronaldo-Messi Louis Vuitton Ad
The photographer behind the epic photo
The photographer in charge of this campaign is the one and only Annie Leibovitz, who is herself a legendary figure in her field.
This is another gem to add to Annie Leibovitz’s legendary collection of celebrity portraits, with other names including the late Queen Elizabeth, John Lennon, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Michael Jordan and much more.
This is also not the first time two legendary footballers have come together for an iconic photoshoot for Annie and LV.
Back in 2010, they brought together the three greats in Maradona, Pele, and Zidane for an all-time commercial, which included several photographs and an advertisement.
Was it a photoshop job?
Many were left wondering how Louis Vuitton managed to get the two giants of the game – who have been rivals for eternity – in the same room together.
Well, they didn’t.
It is clear now that she used photoshop for this campaign, as the behind-the-scenes video of the shoot shows the creative team working with both players separately.
The briefcase
Does this Messi and Ronaldo photo have anything to do with the World Cup though? One theory says it does.
The LV briefcase, on which Messi and Ronaldo are playing chess, was used during the 2018 World Cup to deliver the FIFA World Cup trophy before the tournament’s opening game and championship game.
Fans believe that the two footballers’ social media post points to a final match between Argentina and Portugal. If by any grace of the divine, it does happen, it would be the biggest event in the history of this sport.
And also the undeniable end of the GOAT debate.
Throwback to an ultimate game of chess
Others have pointed out more subtle things in the picture, such as the chess game that is being played by the pair of them. While Piers Morgan is hell-bent on taking Ronaldo’s side and saying that he is in a winning position here, the fact of the matter is that this position is not any random one.
This exact chess sequence was seen in a match between Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen, two legendary players of chess.
The match, which was played in 2017, actually ended up in a draw, which is incredibly cheeky from Louis Vuitton as they prove they aren’t picking any sides in the debate.
Whatever the case with chess may be, one thing is for certain. This World Cup, despite its controversies, would be one that would be remembered forever.
All we can hope for now is for these two to play against each other on the world’s biggest stage.
