With Lionel Messi, Miami has become the "capital" of football in the United States

Football is a team sport played by eleven players… But in Miami, Florida, soccer fans – as football is known in the United States – have their eyes on one player: Lionel Messi . The Argentinian playmaker, who has been playing for local club Inter Miami since the summer of 2023, is an idol in the city, embodying his sport for many.

One only had to look around the Hard Rock Stadium on June 14, before the kickoff of the opening match of the Club World Cup between his team and Egypt's Al-Ahly (0-0) to be convinced. Apart from the supporters who came to cheer on the Cairenes, the vast majority of spectators present had only made the trip to see the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in action.

Almost everyone wore a jersey bearing his name, whether it was the pink jersey of Inter Miami, the Albiceleste (the Argentinian national team) or FC Barcelona, where Lionel Messi spent more than twenty years. And they did not hide their pride in having in their ranks the man who is considered one of the greatest players in history. "It's incredible to have him in our team ," enthused James (who did not want to give his last name) in front of the security gates of the stadium. "He's the GOAT [“greatest of all time”, the “best of all time”] and he's with us!"