VANCOUVER, BC – Kekuta Manneh grew up playing soccer barefooted.
As a young kid in Bakau, The Gambia, he couldn't afford to buy proper cleats and his dad spent his earnings on providing food for the family. It wasn’t until a tourist donated some gear that Manneh got his first pair. Now, he’s one of 10 players who have been “Backed by Messi” to wear the superstar’s new signature “Messi16” boots.
Adidas launched the “Backed by Messi” campaign in 2015 in celebration of Lionel Messi and “his standing as the greatest soccer player to ever grace this planet.