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'Something special': Fans in South Florida are already gripped by Messi mania

Hudson Michel, manager of the Pelé Soccer store on Miami Beach, adds Lionel Messi's last name to the back of Inter Miami FC soccer jerseys on June 8, 2023.
Verónica Zaragovia
/
WLRN
Hudson Michel, manager of the Pelé Soccer store on Miami Beach, adds Lionel Messi's last name to the back of Inter Miami FC soccer jerseys on June 8, 2023.

Lionel Messi’s decision to join Inter Miami FC was still not confirmed when the Pelé Soccer store on Miami Beach was already preparing merchandise.

The store on Lincoln Road has jerseys from teams all over the world, but manager Hudson Michel knew that the Inter Miami ones will be best sellers. He peeled off the plastic from pink jerseys on which he was heat-pressing Messi’s name. Michel also added the number 10, which was Messi’s number for Argentina’s national team and also FC Barcelona. 

"Business is gonna be booming, traffic is definitely gonna be crazy," Michel said. "He's one of the best players ever, he’s the GOAT."

The GOAT, or greatest of all time, confirmed the rumor by Wednesday afternoon in a video interview with the Spanish outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport.

"I made the decision that I’m going to Miami," Messi said, sitting on a couch, wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Messi's contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends at the end of the month.

On Lincoln Road, not far from the soccer store, Armando Gomez had his cell phone out and it kept buzzing because a WhatsApp chat he's in was discussing Messi's decision.

"My friends are commenting things like Messi wanted the heat of Miami, the warmth of Miami and he'll feel comfortable here with all of the Latinos," said Gomez, who's originally from Venezuela and lives in Broward County, not far from the stadium.

READ MORE: Lionel Messi is taking his talents to Miami

According to the Pew Research Center, Florida has the largest Argentine population in the U.S. And you can especially feel that in South Florida, which might help Messi feel right at home. 

Even people who don't follow fútbol plan to take interest in Inter Miami — people like George Schamy, who grew up in Buenos Aires but has lived in the U.S. for decades. "At least one time you have to see a match with Messi in it," Schamy said. "I only watch World Cups, and even then only if [Argentina] is winning. But Messi's something different. Something special."

By night time, the tickets to an Inter Miami game were spiking. Ernesto Álvarez, who hails originally from Argentina, said he would have to see how he could get some — especially since he never saw Diego Maradona play, so he wants to see Messi.

Argentina's Lionel Messi hoists the winning team replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy during a celebration ceremony for local fans after an international friendly soccer match against Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 23, 2023.
Gustavo Garello
/
AP
Argentina's Lionel Messi hoists the winning team replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy during a celebration ceremony for local fans after an international friendly soccer match against Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 23, 2023.

Álvarez was rushing to get into the North Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach with his son to watch game 3 of the Heat play against the Nuggets in the NBA finals. They stood on the corner in a neighborhood known as Little Buenos Aires, because of the number of Argentine businesses and residents. Here crowds of people from Argentina celebrated with the blue and white flag after Messi won the world cup on Dec. 18, 2022. He said he'll settle for a photo, too.

"The idea is to bump into him while he's out and about and at least take a photo with him," Álvarez said. "We know he's very humble and good, so I don't think it will be a problem to get the memento."

He chuckled, and then hurried inside.

Tomás Álvarez, no relation to Ernesto, stood outside of the Buenos Aires Bakery a few blocks away. He said he loves that Messi can come here and live the Miami experience.

"I think he's choosing to bring his family to a really good place to live," Álvarez said. "The Inter Miami stadium will be bursting with people each weekend. It's just going to be crazy."

'Did you hear about Messi?'

Argentineans told WLRN that people who aren't from the country don't show emotions over the sport the way they do. They all said they live to see soccer — and if you add Messi to the mix, the passion will boil over.

After 9 p.m., Ethan Reta said he had heard about the news all day. He spoke to WLRN before walking off a field in South Beach after soccer practice.

"Everywhere I went – ‘Did you hear about Messi? Did you hear about Messi?' It’s crazy," said Reta, whose father is Argentine. "People can’t get enough of it. I’m really excited to be able to watch the greatest player of all time play, like, in my own city."

It's good timing. The team could really use some help from the man who won the last World Cup. Last week Inter Miami CF fired its head coach, and the team currently sits at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference standings. 

Telemundo’s soccer announcer Andrés Cantor told Sky News that the Messi effect is already, well, in full-blown effect.

"The Inter Miami Instagram grew in the last 24 hours by 3 million," Cantor said. The account already had nearly 7 million followers by Friday afternoon. "He will turn this league around, I have no question. There will be a before and after Messi in MLS. He will sell out stadiums wherever he plays."

Prices to see the soccer legend already spiked into the thousands for some seats even before Messi put pen to paper. 

Meanwhile, the team already has plans underway to move from the temporary, small stadium it's using in Ft. Lauderdale to a new large one in the city of Miami by 2025.

Verónica Zaragovia was born in Cali, Colombia, and grew up in South Florida. She’s been a lifelong WLRN listener and is proud to cover health care, as well as Surfside and Miami Beach politics for the station. Contact Verónica at vzaragovia@wlrnnews.org
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