"Tab Closed"

23 July 2026

60s

A Messi goodbye.

To say World Cup runners-up Argentina left a bad taste in the mouth would be an understatement. Zero, count 'em, zero shots in normal time, a red card for Enzo Fernández (one of the feel-good stories of the tournament), twenty-five fouls, and a flurry of punches thrown by Leandro Paredes ensured Lionel Messi's last World Cup game ended on the most sour note possible.

At least, we assume it was Messi's last World Cup game. It would be awkward if Michelob Ultra released this eulogy of a commercial, only for the Argentina captain to stick around for another tournament. Odds are Messi's done and dusted on the international stage, however, so the beer brand can push this 60" spot as much as it wants (a drink might help wash down that sorry excuse for a final, to be honest).

The idea of Messi's World Cup record on a bar receipt that's printed out works better than expected—one to pin up on the wall, we reckon. Less successful is the use of Ludovico Einaudi's 'Experience', which feels like it belongs to a whole other montage. Not an own goal, as such, but it (plus snippets of commentary) distracts from the oddly satisfying sound of the printer.

USA

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