David Beckham and Peyton Manning are trying to settle the major dispute of our times.
In a new World Cup ad from Frito-Lay, they’re debating whether to call the sport being played during the tournament soccer or football. It’s an ongoing argument that will probably never be settled. So long as there’s an Englishman jumping into your mentions to say “it’s called football, mate,” or a U.S.-based team in a soccer league tacking an FC onto their name, we’ll be doing this forever.
Beckham and Manning try to hash the issue out, while also bickering over whether they’re chips and cleats or crisps and boots, as the former England midfielder settles in to watch the World Cup on the NFL quarterback’s couch.
With the two retired pros at an impasse and chomping on various chips/crisps, they got some outside help. Mia Hamm, in coach mode at a youth soccer field, lands hard on the side of soccer. Comedian Ron Funches, dressed as a football* referee and officiating the game Hamm’s team is playing in, disagrees.
*note: We at Pro Soccer Wire have made our choice on this matter clear, and you can even buy a shirt endorsing our correct position.
Up in a broadcast booth in some other location, more USWNT legends have their say. Julie Foudy poses the question, and gets her answer in the form of a Brandi Chastain sports bra that reads “SOCCER.”
We then go field level, with Chicharito and Tim Howard having, for unclear reasons, a penalty kick shootout. Chicharito offers a third option, fútbol, with Howard sticking up for soccer. The Mexico and LA Galaxy striker seemed to miss his spot kick, but he had an ulterior motive: demolishing Howard’s bag of Cheetos, and catching one of the flying snacks for himself.
It’s a galaxy-brain solution, and might make Chicharito the real winner from this commercial.
We come back to Beckham explaining the entire history of every sport played with a ball, before he slips up and notes that he owns a soccer team (Inter Miami), before mobs of people end up outside chanting for soccer and football, respectively. Everyone knows that’s just what happens when famous people playfully argue over a topic.
Whatever you call it, the biggest tournament in the men’s version of the sport kicks off on November 20.
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