He’s the footballing superstar who cemented his status as the greatest of all time by winning the World Cup with Argentina.
But Lionel Messi’s quest to be the best appears to be taking shape off the pitch as well as he looks to compete with Cristiano Ronaldo and KSI and Logan Paul with a brand new hydration drink.
The Inter Miami star’s energy drink has started to appear on shelves in Britain, but its launch has been mired in controversy over a crunch legal battle with KSI’s Prime Energy drink as well as outrage over its eye-watering price per bottle.
In contrast to the stampedes that greeted the release of Prime in December 2022, Messi’s rival product has quietly started popping up in B&M ahead of its official UK launch next week.
Messi, whose drink will rival Prime and Ronaldo’s Herbalife carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions, said ahead of its UK launch: ‘I wanted a drink that had the ingredients I need and amazing flavor. No compromise on quality ingredients. So I went to work on a drink of my own.’
But the lead-up to Messi’s release has been plagued by an ongoing legal battle between Mas+ and Prime.
Messi revealed his hydration drink in June 2024, with many quick to point out the similarities between it and Prime.
According to a lawsuit filed by Mark Anthony International, the distributor for Mas+, in October, Prime instantly reached out with claims that Messi’s drink had violated its trade dress by copying the design.
Mas+ filed a lawsuit against Prime in a bid to get a declaratory judgement to confirm Messi’s drink was not copying KSI and Logan Paul’s.
But in November, Prime filed a countersuit against Mas+, claiming the footballer’s new drink infringes Prime’s trademark due to its design and tagline similarities.
Prime also claimed the similar look caused unfair competition as fans were confusing the two.
Fans have been sharing footage of Messi’s ‘Mas+’ energy drinks on the shelves of B&M, but the company say this is old US stock brought over by a trader unofficially.
Having already launched in the US, Mas+ is set to officially hit the shelves in the UK next month.
The company say official products will be available at Spar before rolling out to supermarkets across the country.
The product, promoted as a ‘positive hydration drink with a balanced blend of electrolytes, vitamins and antioxidants’, is being flogged for £4 a bottle.
One social media user fumed: ‘£4 is a madness. Messi lost his mind.’
Another wrote: ‘I honestly can’t believe they are trying to charge £4 for these.’
A third posted: ‘£4???!?? You’re having a laugh!’
And a fourth quipped: ‘I can hear my Grandad saying ‘how much’. £4 is ridiculous.’
It remains to be seen if Mas+ will have the same hype as Prime, when carnage broke out in Aldi stores across the UK as KSI’s drink went on sale.
Scenes of pandemonium exploded in some stores in December 2022, with children captured on video climbing over the aisles in one shop to try and get them.
In some stores the drink sold out within three minutes, according to Prime Tracker UK, who traces supplies. The drinks went on sale for £1.99 at the time.
Queues had been forming on the day from as early as 5am as parents took their children to get their hands on Prime.
Messi’s Mas+ drink will officially launch in the UK next Wednesday.
The drink will come in four flavours, inspired by Messi’s milestones, including Miami Punch, Orange d’Or, Berry Copa Crush and Limon Lime League.
Jeremy Kanter, Global Chief Marketing Officer for Más+ by Messi, said: ‘With Leo, we’ve achieved something almost unbelievable: a delicious tasting drink that has just 1g of sugar, 10 calories per 500ml bottle, and no artificial sweeteners or colours.
‘Better still, its unique blend of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals absorb rapidly into your body, keeping you well hydrated so you can show up at your best all throughout the day. Put simply, we’ve reinvented the idea of daily hydration. We call it Positive Hydration.’