Lionel Messi dazzles, hypnotizes, admires, stirs emotion and tears. The best player in the world has decided to change the air and is delighted that Major League Soccer has been revolutionized by his presence. Every step on Rosario’s planet caused tremors that were hard to measure. He dazzled Hollywood stars again on Thursday as he worked his magic through Los Angeles for a qualifier against Ecuador with the Argentina national team.
It’s hard to explain what Messi means in the world. If anyone thought Leo would be overlooked by organized but less intense American football, they were absolutely wrong. The Argentine caused chaos every time he appeared on the pitch. Everyone wants to see it, Argentines, Latinos, Yankees or whatever nationality. The famous and the unknown. The price of scalpers skyrocketed. Leo returned the admiration with on-pitch genius and a unique sensitivity, greeting, smiling and taking as many selfies or photographs as he could, though for that he had to flank the security team trying to protect him, especially bouncer El El Chueco, who named him Inter Miami, who followed him like his own shadow.
Everything he touches turns to gold. This is Midas in the ball. He arrived at the bottom of the table with a team that had barely won a few games, and two months later won the League Cup, qualifying Las Garzas for the Copa America and leading the team Made it to the final of the America’s Cup. In just three league games, he opened up a miraculous chance at a playoff berth that seemed impossible from a numbers standpoint.
Rio’s statistics at Inter Milan are chilling: 11 games, 11 goals, 5 assists, 10 wins and 1 tie. It’s untrue even for the best people in the world.
The last show was in Los Angeles before flying to Argentina to join Scanetta’s band. And the stadium of the last MLS champion is also star-studded. “Messi is my favorite player in the world. I was so happy when Argentina won the World Cup. I can’t wait to see Messi in person tonight. I was as excited as a child at Christmas”, Owen Wilson on One movie says he cried louder than the final scene of “Marley and Me” when he hugged Messi with the kids. And Selena Gomez, just another fan, dazzled by Messi’s every move on the pitch. Asked about Leo, he told the camera: “I love him.”
The stands look like a Hollywood movie set. Leo DiCaprio, Gerard Butler, Tom Ellis, Will Ferrell, Brandon Hunt, Ed Norton, Steven Yeun, Toby Maguire and Tom Holland, who are perhaps waiting for Leo’s goal to see if he’ll party like Spider-Man and compare it to their own personal superhero performance.
Then there are LeBron James, James Harden and Magic Johnson, all of whom are admitted admirers of Leo. If some glamor was missing, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle said they were there early on.
Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus’ multi-time champion Italian defender, has assured: “Knowing your opponent is crucial to marking him, even if you are marking him alone. Take Cristiano Ronaldo for example, the brand Try not to lean to the right. With Messi…you can make the sign of the cross”. The admiration for Leo also spread to his daughters and as soon as the game was over the Italian, as another fan, asked Leo if he could take a photo with Nina and Olivia, who couldn’t hide their joy and hugged this man. Rosario.
Now, it’s time to leave Tata Martino’s Inter Milan for a while, they will have to manage to the best of their ability without Leo, and join the Argentine national team to start the road to qualifying, which will get them into the next round. Qualification for a World Cup. Messi has found another place where he can be happy in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Perhaps he will be encouraged to consider defending the Champions League with White Celeste in 2026. There will be no shortage of banking.
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