Kevin Hart meets Lionel Messi, calls World Cup 'breathtaking'

NEW YORK – Kevin Hart is having quite the weekend, and when it's all said and done, he might be linking up with soccer icon Lionel Messi twice.

The movie star and comedian, 47, met Messi on July 17 at Fanatics Fest in midtown Manhattan. On stage at the FIFA World Cup final press conference, Hart, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and rapper Travis Scott posed for a selfie alongside a who's who of sports icons: NFL champion Tom Brady, tennis great Novak Djokovic and soccer stars Rio Ferdinand, Rodri and Emiliano Martínez. NBA champion and MVP Kevin Durant snapped the picture.

"That was my first time ever meeting (Messi)," Hart told USA TODAY exclusively at Michelob Ultra's Pitchside Club in Manhattan July 18. "He doesn't speak English so it was hello and he gave it back to me in Spanish. So we definitely didn't understand what each said to the other, but it was definitely a good meeting, a great introduction."

The "Jumanji" star, who is a spokesperson during the World Cup for Michelob Ultra and was at the Pitchside Club to perform celebrity karaoke (he sang Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel"), says he hasn't been involved "at this level" with the World Cup before. He calls the event "breathtaking."

"It's all or nothing and there's so much riding on these games for these countries because there's a lot of, not just fanfare, but a lot of meaning, integrity," the actor observed. "There's so much that goes into it."

And there's potentially more in store for Hart. The comedian joined the Michelob Ultra for its campaign that gave a fan the chance attend the World Cup and oversee the Superior Player of the Match trophy, awarded to the top player of the match. If Argentina repeats as World Cup champions and Messi wins the trophy, it'll be Hart who presents it to him.

Hopefully he's brushing up on his Spanish.

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