Messi fever sweeps Miami, awaiting the first official appearance of the Argentine star

Despite disappointing results and finishing last in the American football league, Inter Miami is in the spotlight as their fans scramble to secure tickets for the upcoming season at exorbitant prices. This has prompted the club to expand its stadium capacity. The sole reason for this frenzy is the signing of Argentine star Lionel Messi, the world champion.

The arrival of Messi to Inter Miami through his signing has breathed new life into the hopes of a genuine breakthrough for Major League Soccer (MLS) after several unsuccessful attempts. His arrival has also ignited the passion of Miami's fans, many of whom are Latin Americans.

Upon Messi's arrival in Fort Lauderdale, about 50 kilometers north of Miami where Inter Miami's stadium is located, around twenty fans gathered to welcome the world champion with a banner that read, "We are waiting for you, Messi."

They sang and chanted his name at the airport entrance, expressing their happiness to be there even without personally seeing the Rosario-born star.

Ariel Gonzalez, 56, stated, "I feel really good because even if I didn't see him here, I know that I'll see him within an hour, or next week, or within ten days. We're completely behind him."

Messi's departure from Paris Saint-Germain and his signing with Inter Miami came as a surprise to many, although Inter had been working on it for a long time. But his offer was met with a tempting Saudi offer and the possibility of returning to his former club, Barcelona.

Miami fans have begun counting the days until Messi's first official match, which could possibly be on the 21st in the "Leagues Cup," a competition organized by both the American and Mexican leagues.

For Raúl Patiño, who moved to Florida 22 years ago, Messi's arrival represents a "before and after" in the history of football in the United States.

He said, "He's one of the best players in the world, just like Pelé or Maradona. In ten years, if you ask a teenager what game he wants to play, it will be because of Messi's influence on these children."

Inter Miami, which counts former English footballer David Beckham among its contributors, recognizes the economic opportunities brought by Messi's arrival, as the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. As soon as his signing was announced, the price of the cheapest ticket for his potential first appearance against Cruz Azul, a Mexican team, increased from $29 to $329 on the online sales platform "TickPick," an increase of over a thousand percent.

The club has also announced the arrival of other prominent names, including former Argentina coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino and former Spanish international Sergio Busquets, Messi's former teammate at Barcelona, in addition to increasing the capacity of their stadium.

Messi fever has taken on other forms in Miami's Wynwood Arts District, such as the massive painting of the player drawn by fellow Argentine Maxi Masuelli and displayed on the façade of a building. The Argentine artist completed the first step, the smiling face of the football player, but will now move on to the next step: painting the player's body in his new colors.

Every morning, he meticulously works with an umbrella to protect himself from the intense heat in recent days.

Masuelli said, "I created a giant sculpture of Messi in Albania, and during my stay there, I received news of his move here. Many of my acquaintances then told me that I should also paint him in Miami."

Another Argentine, Juan Tavos, admits to being surprised by the enthusiasm Messi's arrival has generated in Miami. "There is a kind of madness in what Messi represents for us Argentinians."

He added, "Now this madness is taking over Miami too. In all the stores, his image is on shirts. He's everywhere. You feel like you're in Buenos Aires or Rosario (Messi's hometown)."

It seems that Messi-mania has just begun in Miami.

 

AFP