![Lionel Messi and Lay's potato chips.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/ZgytYBZvMYFY6gw1o8RApO2SOu8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Lays-x-Messi-FT-BLOG0424-01copy-509a4af07ec84e218a7cb7463035f3a4.jpg)
Frito-Lay North America, Inc. a Division of PepsiCo
Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, is still having a stellar run of form.
Last fall, he won the Ballon d’Or, an award given to the world’s top player, for a record-setting eighth time. After a blockbuster move from French club Paris Saint-Germain to Major League Soccer (MLS), his Inter Miami team is currently at the top of the Eastern Conference table, and he’s become the first player in MLS history to have five goals and five assists in their first five games of the season.
And on top of all that, he’s now a potato chip icon.
The Argentinian G.O.A.T. has partnered with Lay’s potato chips for a new campaign that puts a snackable twist on one of soccer’s most enduring crowd chants, and fans of both Messi and thinly sliced spuds will have the opportunity to win limited-edition Lay’s merch.
If you’ve been to a soccer match or have watched one on TV, you might’ve heard the stadium singing “Olé, Olé, Olé” to celebrate a particular player, a standout goal, or the entire team. This year, Lay’s and Leo are trying to turn that into a chant of “Oh Lay’s” instead.
In a new commercial, Messi is in the changing room, eating a bag of chips before a match (because we’re 100% sure that’s his pre-game routine) and he says “Oh Lay’s” out loud, prompting his teammates to start chanting that combination of words, That song then carries over into the stadium and to everyone watching the match at home. And to bring this concept into the real world, Lay’s will launch a sweepstakes right after Messi chips the goalkeeper, by scoring his first chip-shot goal of the season.
![Lionel Messi and Lay's potato chips Sweepstakes Grand Prize.](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/ZZ-ornWIqTVHZwNw3HPseY1jFcI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Lays-x-Messi-FT-BLOG0424-02-7ffa3ecd71c143d0b3afbffc20a734f5.jpg)
Frito-Lay North America, Inc. a Division of PepsiCo
Within 48 hours of Messi’s first chip, Lay’s will start giving away limited-edition soccer-ball-shaped potato chip bags, and it also has one Leo Messi-signed Lay’s logo soccer jersey to give away to an extraordinarily lucky chip lover.
To enter the contest — which again, kicks off whenever Messi scores a chip-shot goal — you’ll need to go to the @Lays account on Instagram, TikTok, or X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and comment using the hashtags #OHLAYS and #sweepstakes on the post announcing Messi’s goal and the start of the contest.
“When it comes to the perfect blend of skill and flavor, few can match the iconic taste of Lay’s chips or the mastery of Messi on the field, so we knew we had to bring the chip icons together to recognize their greatness,” Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods North America, said in a statement. “With the introduction of ‘Oh-Lay’s,’ we’re thrilled to continue our commitment to spark moments of joy for soccer fans everywhere, reminding them that there’s no better snack for watching soccer than Lay’s potato chips.”
If you’re like us, loving potato chips may be the only thing that you have in common with Leo Messi — but we’re guessing he somehow even eats chips better than we do too.