Watch: Lionel Messi stars in latest Expo 2020 Dubai promo video

Football legend Lionel Messi has kicked off his debut campaign as an Expo 2020 Dubai global ambassador with a new promo video.

The Barcelona player is filmed in the 60-second clip juggling a football at the Expo 2020 site before passing it on across the world in India, the UK and Kenya.

The film aims to help to spread a message of unity and collaboration via the medium of football, a statement said.

It was created by a team of various nationalities and the music was composed with an Arabic melody and a call for togetherness in an African dialect.

Messi, who has won five Ballon d’Or awards for the world’s best football player, was appointed as the Expo 2020 global ambassador in 2016.

As part of the initiative, Expo 2020 will also pass 2,020 durable footballs to underprivileged children in Jordan, Kenya and the Philippines, totalling 6,060 balls, the statement said.

Expo 2020 Dubai, the first world expo to be held in the MENASA ( Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region) expects to attract 25 million visitors during its six-month run from October 2020 until April 2021.

More than 70 per cent of visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of World Expos.

The event is expected to have participation from over 190 countries.

Also read: Dubai Expo 2020 ticket prices revealed