Messi stars at Cirque du Soleil premier

SHOWS: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 10, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. BARCELONA STRIKER, LIONEL MESSI, WITH HIS WIFE, ANTONELLA ROCCUZZO, POSING FOR MEDIA AT RED CARPET

2. MESSI WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL DIRECTORS POSING FOR MEDIA

3. MESSI, WIFE OCCUZZO AND DIRECTOR AND CREATOR, MUKHTAR OMAR SHARIF MUKHTAR AT RED CARPET

4. MESSI, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL DIRECTORS AND CIRQUE DU SOLEIL CREATIVE TEAM POSING FOR MEDIA

5. VARIOUS OF MESSI AND WIFE ROCCUZZO AT RED CARPET

6. MESSI, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL DIRECTORS POSING FOR MEDIA

7. MESSI AND WIFE ROCCUZZO / MESSI AND WIFE WALKING AWAY

STORY: Barcelona striker Lionel Messi attended Cirque du Soleil's "Messi 10" premier on Thursday (October 10) to inaugurate the show inspired by his life.

The show tells the story of an ambitious young man who uses his skill and talent to overcome any obstacle on his way to becoming the world's best "number 10".

Cirque du Soleil director and creator Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar said to reporters he felt "a little nervous" about Messi's reaction to see the "baby" they've been working on for so long, but said he was also very proud of it.

Cirque du Soleil founder, Guy Laliberté told Reuters a soccer themed show was a new experience for the circus and that two big names like Lionel Messi and Cirque du Soleil is "always good".

The show has been produced in conjunction with PopArt Music and Sony Music and will bring together the Cirque du Soleil's signature acrobatic world and the athletics and devotion for football, with a cast of 46 performers in a 90 minute spectacle.

This will be the first foray into soccer for the Canadian entertainment group, and its 46th original production since 1984.

(Production: Jordi Rubio, May Ponzo)