Lionel Messi: The player who's bigger than the club… and the FIFA Club World Cup tournament?
There's a well-worn cliché in soccer: No player is bigger than the club.
At the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday in Atlanta, with the event still in its infancy, that old saying was tossed to the side and replaced by a question on the lips of the 31,783 in attendance – can a player be bigger than the tournament?
The soccer star in question, of course, was a certain Lionel Andrés Messi, for whom the masses had made their pilgrimage to worship, as his Inter Miami took on Portuguese giant FC Porto in the second matchday of Group A.
But until a magical Messi moment in the 54th minute, the match was in danger of becoming a mere sideshow to supporters expressing their admiration – actually, more like unbridled passion – for the 37-year-old who has long cemented his status as one of the greats of the sport. And let's face it: winning nearly everything of note for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain – as well as his country of Argentina, who is the reigning World Cup champion – doesn't exactly hurt his case.
Ahead of kickoff outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, it was evident how the pull of Messi knows no limits – or rather miles. While there were supporters from Atlanta in attendance, CNN Sports spoke with families from Louisiana, Alabama, Charleston, Washington DC, and Buffalo, as well as Puerto Rico and Dublin, Ireland.
They had made the journey for one reason, despite one fan doing his best to convince all in earshot, including himself, that 'we are here for the football!' Inside, when Messi was introduced 30 minutes ahead of kickoff, the roar from the fairly sparse crowd resembled an environment more in keeping with a sold out stadium.
It went up a couple of notches when he walked out again to a fuller house, as the players made their individual entrances to the field, seemingly a nod towards the Americanization of the sport – as FIFA President Gianni Infantino told CNN Sports' Coy Wire recently, this tournament will deliver '63 Super Bowls in one month.'
Upon kickoff, with seemingly every touch of the ball from the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, the sounds from the stands ranged from 'ooh's' to whistles, with the 'Me-ssi!' chant the most popular. It was bordering on surprising that the crowd didn't serenade the Argentine with a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' given the Barça legend turns 38 on Tuesday.
The match was a slow-burner, but exploded into life in the second half. Inter Miami found itself a goal down at the break, courtesy of an early penalty from Porto's Samu Aghehowa.
After the spot kick was converted, Messi's reaction from near the center circle was to keep his hand firmly on his hip and not move a muscle for a good 10 seconds in a manner which suggested: 'This wasn't the plan.' Perhaps, then, it was Porto which didn't plan on Inter Miami's rapid response.
Just two minutes into the second half, Telasco Segovia's smart finish flew past goalkeeper Cláudio Ramos to level the score, and seven minutes later, Messi stepped up. In every way.
A free kick on the edge of the box, which the Argentine star won, brought the crowd to the edge of their seats. A sense of inevitability hung in the air as the maestro marked his territory and figured out the exact angle to place a whipped shot into the corner of the net. You almost had to feel for Ramos, who couldn't lay a glove on either strike.
The goal was a thing of beauty, as we have been treated to so frequently over the years, with Portuguese defender José Fonte lauding Messi on the DAZN broadcast: 'Touched by God, isn't he? Incredible. What a player.' The stunner ended up not just being the match winner but resulted in the first time a team from the CONCACAF region has defeated a European side in a competitive fixture.
It was Messi's 50th goal for the team as well. Not too shabby for a Thursday afternoon in the middle of June. A point in the final group game against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras next Monday will guarantee Inter Miami's place in the knockout phase.
Cutting through the noise and one wonders what the powers at be in FIFA make of it all. The sport's governing body essentially fast-tracked Inter Miami into the 32-team tournament, not by virtue of winning the MLS Cup, but rather the regular season Supporters' Shield, which may have come with a trophy, but is ultimately a pathway into the postseason.
Messi and Miami were shockingly bounced last year in a best-of-three playoff series by the team which can normally be found playing at this stunning 70,000-capacity stadium, Atlanta United, with the MLS Cup eventually hoisted aloft by LA Galaxy. But the Seattle Sounders and LAFC completed the contingent of the three MLS sides in the Club World Cup, leaving the Galaxy on the outside looking in, gazing enviously at the brightest star of them all.
And with the Club World Cup finally finding its feet, thanks to Messi's left foot resulting in one of the tournament's first signature moments, the reality remains that he is what has drawn the crowds here on Thursday, and last Saturday to boot, with the opening game of the tournament attracting over 60,000 fans to Hard Rock Stadium in Messi's American base of Miami.
Inter Miami is a relatively new MLS franchise, with co-owner David Beckham – who may have felt a modicum of sympathy for his former club, the LA Galaxy, not getting an invite to FIFA's party – the original reason for this franchise gaining relevance in 2018.
Whether the Club World Cup – which is set to take place every four years, the same cycle as the slightly more established FIFA World Cup, which will be 96 years old next summer – can grow in stature remains to be seen. In the here and now, Messi and Messi alone is on the mind of everyone fortunate enough to witness him in action. And that extends to the players as well.
When CNN Sports speaks with Messi's teammate Fafà Picault after the match, the three words the winger associates with the soccer superstar are 'leader, winner, and winner again,' before noting, 'Sometimes, it's not always said with words but just with signals and body actions, so we try to read off of that. Obviously, we have conversations behind doors, but there's a lot more than just talking that can show signs of leadership.'
And on Thursday, Lionel Messi's actions spoke far louder than words.
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