Lionel Messi Stars In Latest FIFA 13 Ad

Football fans have been waiting for this with the fraught nerves of a penalty shoot-out. No, it's not the start of the season, it's the release of one of the most highly-anticipated video games of the year.

EA's world-beating FIFA series has an army of fans around the world who just can't wait for news on their obsession, it's a bit like Manchester United in some ways. But unlike Man Utd, FIFA 13 lets every couch-bound, beer-swilling, pizza-munching man in the world take to the pitch to chase footballing glory.

This Italian ad for the button-bashing, goal-scoring game sees a gamer starting his virtual season, joining a club, meeting his teammates and training to champion standard. 

He joins millions of other players who score goals and win titles without ever leaving their sofa, meeting friends from around the world for a virtual kick-about.

The ad, by AKQA and Wieden+Kennedy, features cameo appearences from Harry Redknapp and Lionel Messi. With over 15,000 views in its first 4 days, the clip has sparked excitement ahead of the game's September 28th release.