MAM
Sandip Soparrkar named Cube sport brand ambassador in India
NEW DELHI: Bollywood’s internationally renowned choreographer Sandip Soparrkar is the new brand ambassador for Speed Cubing Mumbai Unlimited (SCMU).
The aim is to bring Bollywood and sports – two of the most loved fields – come closer for the promotion of Cube sport.
Soparrkar, who was recently seen doing a photoshoot with various cubes, said, “I am having a great time. I feel honoured that SCMU asked me to represent them as their brand ambassador. Cubing is a fantastic sport, which sharpens not just the mind but even develops the motor movements in a person. It is an amazing sport for kids as well as adults and I am glad that I have been chosen as the face of the brand.”
The photoshoot will convey that the cube is just not a toy but a complete sport in itself. Cube is not just a hobby for kids but can be helpful for working professionals too to tackle everyday challenges in life and is a great stress buster.
SCMU head Girish Bhatia added, “We are proud to announce our association with Bollywood’s ace choreographer Sandip Soparrkar as our brand ambassador. He got addicted to speed cubing through his cuber son Arjun who shares a similar passion and wants to take speed cubing to a greater level.”
SCMU is a group of speed cubers from Mumbai formed in 2011 by Akshay Rao who later left the group to pursue higher studies. Since then, the organisation has actively promoted Rubiks Cube as a sport and not as a hobby.
The group currently headed by Bhatia has about thirty active members who are collectively referred to as Team SCMU. Since 2011, the team organized and supported over 40 cube competitions, and is the only organization in India to promote speedcubing at a professional level.
Their competition in January 2015 was Asia’s largest competition and world’s eighth largest. Their June 2015 competition was held in Juhu, which turned out to be the world’s largest single day event.
In 2013, the Team made a Rubik cube mosaic of Sachin Tendulkar, which gave them entry into the Limca book of Records for Rubik’s cube for a mosaic made with 6240 cubes.
Their next competition – SCMU Freedom open 2015 – will be held on 15 and 16 August at Phoenix Market City, Kurla, Mumbai. It’s an International competition associated with World Cube Association (WCA), where India’s best talents would compete against time to solve the most challenging Rubik’s cube in a matter of few seconds.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
