At first glance, Lionel Messi and the Beatles don't have that much in common, but both cultural phenomena have managed to create a rift in America.
In February 1964, the Beatles arrived in the United States and quickly established themselves as popular, with their televised performance on The Ed Sullivan Show viewed by approximately 73 million people.
Messi has achieved the same thing. Since he joined MLS in 2023, Inter Miami's games have always been sold out, with many passionate fans and some curious about the star, eager to see what the Argentinian prodigy can do. You're paying a lot of money to see it.
His recent appearance underlined the 36-year-old's influence on American culture.
Sporting Kansas City typically plays at Children's Mercy Park, which can accommodate up to 21,500 fans.
Due to the uproar surrounding Messi's arrival in Kansas City, the club opted to move the match against Inter Miami to Arrowhead, a much larger stadium with a capacity of approximately 76,000.
As expected, Messi drew a record crowd on Saturday, with over 70,000 fans reportedly lining the stands.
Despite the match being played at Sporting KC's home stadium, the majority of fans in attendance seemed to be rooting for Miami, as was evident every time Messi weaved his incredible web.
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In the 18th minute, with Inter Miami leading 1-0, Messi assisted Diego Gomez's first touch with his right foot and then leveled the score with a well-placed pass, a similar magical moment at the Camp Nou. It reminded me of.
And he wasn't finished yet. There's no chance.
In the second half, the little wizard received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and fired an unstoppable howitzer into the back of the net.
The stadium erupted. Leading physicists around the world were puzzled over how Messi produced a shot more powerful than the heat from a thousand suns without breaking stride.
This is the kind of skill MLS officials dreamed of when convincing Messi to move from Europe, a skill that will inspire future golden generations of American players to unprecedented greatness. right.
Messi Magic at Arrowhead Stadium✨
what. strike. pic.twitter.com/E3ax584Nw9
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 14, 2024
“It was a great goal,” Miami midfielder Benjamin Kremaski said. “I'm not surprised at all because he does it all the time. It's normal for a guy like him.”
And it wasn't just his teammates who were figuratively drooling over Messi's performance.
Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said: “Messi's passes, the second goal, the way he hits the ball where he wants it, you don't see that often in MLS.'' “They can punish you.”
Meanwhile, Sporting KC forward Daniel Saloy said: “He is an unbelievable player and can create something out of nothing. It was a great experience to play against these players.”
Messi won't be around forever. That means it is vital that Inter Miami and MLS use his presence to give soccer a once-in-a-lifetime boost in a country that remains soccer's ultimate frontier.
Ian Nicholas Quillen said in Forbes after the game: “Saturday night felt special. It felt like it was happening not just at Arrowhead, but around MLS. And every time the game's greatest living player steps on the field in your league, it felt like it was happening around MLS. It's about how it feels.
“MLS and its clubs need to find a way to get it back more often.”
Messi has already captured the hearts of Americans, much like the Beatles did 60 years ago. But unlike the musical quartet from Liverpool, his American achievements remain unwritten and unknown.
Written by Michael Lee
