As if Super Bowl LIX anticipation levels weren't high enough already, it would appear that a VIP guest from the soccer world will be in attendance for NFL's showpiece event in New Orleans on Sunday, as Inter Miami star Lionel Messi looks set to be in the crowd to watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
With a "three-peat" on the line, Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes welcomed the chance to perform in front of Messi, referring to the Miami star as "the GOAT of his profession" while talking with the press ahead of the game.
The pair briefly met in a corridor last year, shaking hands, embracing and exchanging a few words before Messi went on to score in a 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Chiefs.
Of course, though he may be the most famous, Messi certainly won't be soccer's first representative to have taken in a Super Bowl, with several other players having attended the grandstand event live in person in the recent past.
England captain Harry Kane is known to be a huge fan of the NFL and was able to fly out to Atlanta to watch Super Bowl LIII in 2019 while he continued to rehab from a knee injury.
The GOAT Tom Brady and MVP @Edelman11 ! Let's Go!!! 🏆🐐 #SuperBowl #SBLIII pic.twitter.com/m5etwc3hzY
— Harry Kane (@HKane) February 4, 2019
The then-Tottenham striker made a day of it, catching up with a succession of NFL stars including JJ Watt, Robert Kraft and Tom Brady before watching the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
A gaggle of managers also made the trip to Atlanta to watch the game together, as proven by a slightly confusing group selfie containing Gareth Southgate, Roberto Martinez and David Moyes which did the rounds on social media.
All set #SuperBowl53 pic.twitter.com/Z7O9buRgrE
— Darren Fletcher (@DFletcherSport) February 3, 2019
A conveniently timed back injury also freed up Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford to travel to Miami to watch Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. Rashford attended a pre-game music festival that saw him pose for photos with the likes of DJ Khaled, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Hart and Jay-Z before witnessing the Chiefs come from behind to lift the trophy.
Believe it or not, oft-injured Chelsea defender Reece James was also on the sidelines when he attended the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in 2023. The full-back shared a fleeting glimpse from his seat at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada before the action got under way.
Reece James in Vegas at #SBLVIII! 🏈🇺🇸
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) February 11, 2024
📸 Reece James / Instagram pic.twitter.com/HICG5qkOEr
The boundaries between the once-distinct worlds of soccer and NFL continue to blur year on year, though perhaps the most unlikely club to be spearheading the movement is Wrexham of League One.
For the second year running, the Welsh side -- who just so happened to be co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney -- will be running a commercial during the Super Bowl with this year's effort featuring fellow Deadpool and Wolverine actor Channing Tatum.
Back in 2016, then-Barcelona winger Neymar appeared in a Taco Bell advert alongside NBA star James Harden claiming that soccer was "real football."
Cristiano Ronaldo also joined in the Super Bowl commercial-based fun in the past by swapping out his shin pads in favour of shoulder pads, a helmet and war paint in an advert for Altice One in 2018.
And Messi himself starred in one of last year's most popular Super Bowl commercials, when the Argentina international superstar appeared alongside NFL hall-of-famer and Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino in a spot for Michelob ULTRA.
The latest commercial for this year sees the parents of former Man United winger David Beckham reveal that he had a twin brother that they never told him about named "other David," who the couple left in America ...
Beckham travels to the states and knocks on a door to meet his twin, played by actor Matt Damon. The two share a drink as Damon punts a football impressively and asks Beckham how famous he is.
We wonder who will be next from the soccer world to get involved?