Messi and the Giants Disney+ teaser draws backlash from fans

Lionel Messi has gone from the World Cup stage to the television screen. The Argentine star is an executive producer on Messi and the Giants, an animated series coming to Disney+ in summer 2027. Disney released the first teaser on 2 October, and the reaction online has been far from kind. Many fans said the animation looks weak, the story is far from what they wanted, and the whole idea fails to match Messi’s legend.

Messi and the Giants is an animated sports-fantasy series about Leo, a 12-year-old boy who becomes trapped in an alternate reality ruled by giants. To get home, he must compete in high-stakes, soccer-like battles using powerful orbs, defeat legendary giants and restore the fractured realms of Iko. The teaser debuted at San Diego Comic-Con Málaga in Spain in front of more than 3,000 fans. The series will premiere globally on Disney+ in summer 2027 and will also air on Disney Channel in the United States. Disney has not announced an exact launch date.

Messi is an executive producer, but he does not voice the lead character. Argentine/Canadia voice actor Milo Burgess-Webb is credited with voicing Leo. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television, Sony Music Vision and Sony Music Latin Iberia, with animation by Atlantis Animation. The theme song, “Vamos, Vamos, Vamos”, is performed by Argentine singer Luck Ra. Messi’s late father, Jorge Messi Pérez, is also credited as an executive producer in memoriam.

The project has been in development for several years. Sony announced Disney’s acquisition of the series in December 2024, describing it as an action-adventure inspired by Messi about a young boy transported from Argentina into a fantasy universe. When it was announced, Messi said he wanted to share the values sports taught him with younger generations. Disney’s own pitch says Leo cannot use the world’s powers like everyone else, so he relies on skill, teamwork and determination. That makes the show a fantasy adventure inspired by Messi and not a biography of him.

The teaser shows what that looks like. Disney’s main post carries a 1 minute 5 second clip of Leo mid-air, kicking a glowing, smiling orb in a burst of electric light. A separate Latin American Disney+ post shares a shorter sneak peek showing the boy wide-eyed and alarmed in a strange world. Both posts describe the show as an animated series with Messi as executive producer arriving in 2027. Fans were quick to give their verdicts, and most of them were not flattering.

The loudest complaint was about the animation. One fan said it was “really bad” and that they had expected more:

“The animation is really bad.. I was expecting more, what a shame”

Another declared that it is going to be so lame, adding that they are a huge Messi fan. A third said they felt the least desire to watch it of almost anything. For a project tied to one of football’s biggest names, the early verdict on the visuals was harsh.

Many fans also said the show is not what they wanted. Some had hoped for something like Captain Tsubasa, the classic football anime, and called the result a letdown. One said it has nothing to do with Messi and that the creators just used his name for a fantasy cartoon. Another reacted with sarcasm, saying the show tells Messi’s story perfectly and realistically:

“Very well, realistic and perfectly tells Messi’s story. Said no one ever.”

The sarcasm captures the central complaint, that a show about giants and glowing orbs has little to do with the footballer’s real career.

The disappointment came from Messi’s own supporters as well. One fan said they were a Messi fan but that the teaser did not quite convince them. Another said they did not want to see the GOAT mixed up in something this awful, adding that people should give up. A few supporters questioned the point of the whole project. A few replies were positive, with one fan saying the trailer made it their new all-time favourite anime, though others may read that as a joke.

Some reactions were jokes rather than criticism. One fan joked that Messi had an animated series on Disney+ before GTA VI had even been released. A few replies joked about the studio changing the lead character’s race, a nod to online arguments about casting changes in other adaptations. No such change is part of this show, which centres on an animated 12-year-old character, and there has been no casting controversy reported. Taken together, these replies show how quickly a teaser turns into a meme.

The reaction lands at an emotional moment for Messi. He announced his retirement from international football on 31 August, after Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain. His father and close advisor, Jorge Messi, died on 8 August, aged 68. He continues to play for Inter Miami, where his contract runs through 2028, and is expected to make his farewell appearance for Argentina on 6 October against Benin. The series, due next summer, is part of his wider move into business and media.

When the series was announced in December 2024, Messi explained why he wanted to be involved. He said he had always dreamed of taking part in a project that would share the values of sports, the same values that have been important to his career, with younger generations. In his words, nothing is impossible with “teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work”. He said he hoped the show would inspire children around the world and motivate them to chase their own dreams. Messi added that he has loved animated series since he was a kid, and that he looks forward to watching this one with his own children.

It is worth remembering that this is only a teaser. Early reactions to a teaser can change once the finished series arrives, and the show is still a year away. No premiere date or full voice cast has been announced. The creative team, led by director Dan Creteur of Atlantis Studios, has so far only shown a glimpse of the world of Iko. Whether the series wins fans over will depend on the writing as much as the visuals.

For now, the early verdict from fans is a divided one, with the negative voices louder than the positive ones. Many saw a gap between the Messi name and the fantasy cartoon on screen. Others see a harmless family adventure that may land better with children than with football fans. Messi’s name will bring plenty of attention to Messi and the Giants when it arrives, and the question is whether the show can meet it. That answer will not come until summer 2027.