Boxing legend appears in pro-life commercial targeting ad spot at World Cup final 

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao appeared with abortion survivors in a pro-life commercial promoted during the final weekend of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 30-second Faces of Choice commercial asks viewers to look directly at people who survived attempted abortions.

Pacquiao opens the commercial by asking, “Can you look at them?”

Several abortion survivors then appear on screen. Pacquiao follows with another question.

“And say they shouldn’t exist?”

Pacquiao later explains the message behind the commercial.

“‘Choice’ is a person with a name, a face and a story,” he says.

The commercial rejects the idea that abortion is only an abstract political issue. It shows the people whose lives were supposed to end and asks viewers to recognize their worth as people.

A Philippine sports outlet reported after the World Cup final⁠ that the commercial aired during the match between Spain and Argentina.

However, Heartlander News could not independently confirm that Fox carried the commercial during its American broadcast.

Before the match, Faces of Choice said the commercial had received approval but that the organization still needed money to secure its placement. A Daily Tribune report⁠ also said the final placement and number of viewers would depend on the last fundraising effort.

After the match, Faces of Choice continued promoting the commercial as part of its World Cup campaign on social media.

Pacquiao is the only boxer to win world championships across eight weight divisions. He also previously served in the Philippine Senate and has publicly supported protections for unborn children and help for pregnant mothers.

Melissa Ohden was among the abortion survivors featured in the campaign.

Ohden survived a failed saline abortion in 1977. She later founded the Abortion Survivors Network, which helps abortion survivors share their experiences and find support.

She also hosts the Herzog Foundation’s weekly podcast Life Beyond Abortion. The program shares the experiences of abortion survivors and their families.

Heartlander News has covered Ohden’s work before. In 2024, Heartlander News reported on her account⁠ of surviving the abortion attempt and being born alive.

Faces of Choice has previously struggled to obtain access to a major television audience.

The organization tried to buy airtime during the 2020 Super Bowl. Faces of Choice said Fox repeatedly requested additional information before telling the organization that its available commercial time had been sold.

That pro-life commercial never aired, CBN reported.