Lionel Messi has signed on with Dubai’s 2020 World Expo, taking on an international role to act as an ambassador and champion the event that is expected to draw more than 20 million people to the UAE.

Messi, who last month won the Ballon D’Or to be recognised as the world’s best footballer for a record fifth time, has more than 80 million followers across social media and is one of football’s most influential stars.

Expo 2020 management are in the process of recruiting global ambassadors such as Messi, dipping into the worlds of sport, arts, music, culture and media, as well as international thought leaders in the fields of architecture and design, science and technology, business, economics, education, philanthropy and sustainability.

In his role as an ambassador, Messi will travel the world, meeting with stakeholders to explore connections between their work and Expo 2020, along with potential opportunities for further collaboration and engagement.

"Lionel Messi's performances on the football pitch bring people together, and as a result his influence reaches far beyond it. He is the ideal person to be our first global ambassador,” said Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, director general of Expo 2020.

“He overcame youthful 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.”