Byju's is not Lionel Messi's first tryst with an Indian brand

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi created a storm on Indian Twitter on Friday after Byju's announced he was the company's ambassador for its social impact arm, Education for All.

Sporting a Byju's jersey with a football tucked into his right arm, Messi's association with the ed tech firm created massive hype for his considerable Indian fanbase.

However, this partnership with Byju's is not his first association with an Indian brand.

Byju’s names Lionel Messi as global brand ambassador to promote education for all

In 2016, Tata Motors roped in the football 'GOAT' to be the face of its new subcompact car Tiago. Messi appeared in the company's promotional photos for the vehicle and even starred in a Television commercial.

The car is reportedly named after his son Thiago Messi, which is how the partnership came to fruition.

The Tiago was originally christened the Zica but an outbreak of the Zika virus in South America that claimed many lives forced the company to rebrand the car. Tata Motors then chose Tiago for its zippy hatchback, which was handy since Messi was Tata Motors' global brand ambassador.

His short association with Tata Motors is not Messi's first brush with India as he graced the 'City of Joy' in 2011. The superstar landed in Kolkata on September 2, 2011, with his teammates as the city's Salt Lake Stadium played host to an international friendly between Argentina and Venezuela.

Messi assisted the only goal of the match as nearly a 100,000 fans in Kolkata returned home with a lifetime of memories.