Soccer God Lionel Messi Got Major Sunday Worship in Frisco: See the Photos

It was the last few hours of the first weekend in August, and the weather had been excruciatingly hot for weeks. Sound medical advice recommends staying indoors and huddling by the air conditioner. Yet 20,000-plus people ignored that recommendation and stood in an orderly line on the blazingly hot concrete outside Toyota Stadium in Frisco, home of FC Dallas. The line stretched west into the dying sun; it was not possible to see where it ended. This is not some weird new sun-worshipping death cult; the affliction is much deeper.

Sunday’s worshippers had come to witness a new deity. Not a god, just a man, but worshipped nonetheless. From the barefoot boys playing in the streets of Rosario, Argentina, to the cleated kids in the German academy system, there is one acknowledged master of the arcane mysteries of the beautiful game of football. He stands 5-foot-7-inches tall, has tree stumps for legs and has come to the U.S. to convert the last remaining doubters to the everlasting power of the world’s most popular sport.

His name is Lionel Messi.

A couple of weeks ago, Messi signed a contract to play for Inter Miami, a bottom-dwelling team in a second-tier league (the United States MLS). Fresh off an Argentine World Cup victory, Messi could have signed anywhere: stayed in France for big bucks, joined the EPL for big bucks or even returned home to the Liga Profesional de Fútbol. Is this just a last money grab at the end of a career? Playing against inferior talent and quiet quitting in a luxury condo on the beach in Florida? After seeing last night’s performance, it’s apparent that the reasons behind his $150-million-plus deal with Inter Miami run much deeper. Not only is he getting a big paycheck, he has become a part owner of the club.

Lionel Messi, the world’s biggest football star and most recognizable sports celebrity, is investing in American “soccer.”
Will it work? Can he raise the profile of this sport to levels seen in Europe, the Middle East, South America, Central America, Africa and basically every other place in the non-U.S. world? It just might, especially if he plays the way he did last night.

About the game:
Let’s be clear: Messi does not play defense. For most of the match, neither did his teammates. FC Dallas dominated large portions of the game. It would be fair to say they dominated all portions of the game that didn’t involve Messi. Messi spent much of the game walking the pitch and watching the action. Then the ball would touch his feet and magically Miami was on the scoreboard. For the game, Messi had two goals and an assist. Miami’s other was an “own goal” from the Dallas defense. Messi’s set pieces were sublime, absolutely perfect.

In the latter part of the second half, his team was down two goals, and even hardcore FC Dallas fans were chanting “Messi, Messi!” And just like that, it was tied at 4 and we were on to penalty kicks to decide the outcome. Miami put all of theirs in the net, Dallas missed on one, and Messi’s team was celebrating.

It was a night that the 20,000 of us in the stadium won’t soon forget. Highlights are going wild on X (Twitter if you are not keeping up). The legend of Messi continues to grow, and there is new football buzz in the States after the women’s national team flamed out of their World Cup defense. Is it enough to change the trajectory of an entire sport? It seems blasphemous to bet against it.