"Lionel Messi’s performances on the football pitch bring people together, and as a result his influence reaches far beyond it," Expo 2020 said in a statement on Facebook . "He is the ideal person to be our first global ambassador. He overcame health challenges to achieve his dreams of international excellence through hard work; making him an inspiration. He is perfectly placed to reach out to young people around the world, bringing them together to join us as we work towards hosting our World Expo in 2020."

International surveys have shown that Messi has recognition levels as high as 85 percent on top of his more than 80 million Facebook followers . He is widely considered to be one of the most influential footballers in the world along with rival Cristiano Ronaldo .

"Expos are all about focusing attention on issues of global interest and global concern to help imagine a better future," Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, director general of Expo 2020, said, according to Khaleej Times . "What better way to do this than by recruiting allies among people who are already working towards better future outcomes?"

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