Lionel Messi conquers the hearts of the United States, a (true) story that not even Mark Twain could have imagined

Not even the beautiful one Mark Twain he could have imagined it in his main mind. Or maybe yes. It was when the creator of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and its sequel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” he wrote “A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and was about a time travel where a man born in the future in another world transformed medieval England into the birthplace of Industrial Revolution. What is this genius of journalism and literature, who came and left the world at the pace of Halley’s Comet– is that in his native Missouri there would be a man capable of making football overshadow American football for a while.

And that’s what he did Saturday night Lionel Messiwhich made the Arrowhead Stadiumthe House of Kansas City Chiefsthe undisputed kings of NFLwhen your InterMiamibeaten and in crisis after the premature elimination from the Concacaf Champions Cup, they beat 3-2 Sporting KC for a new date of MLS.

Messi didn’t just beat the stadium, one of the loudest professional sports in the United States a record number of spectators for a football match with the registered presence of 72,610 people -the fourth highest historical record in MLS-, but he also succeeded Patrick Mahomes, today’s best American football player – and owner of part of Sporting KC’s stock – has surrendered at his feet. Yes, Messi has done it again.

A paragraph to understand who he is Pat Mahomes. Although in reality six words are enough. He is the Messi of American football. At 28 years old he is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the sport that reigns in the land of Uncle Sam. So that those who don’t understand anything can understand: they are the usual strong guys who are the little guys in the movie in hundreds of feature film plots. made in Hollywood.

In reality, the quarterbacks are the stars who make the NFL, with record-breaking contracts, unbeatable among professional sports in the United States. Mahomes has already won the Super Bowl three times and promises, in partnership with Travis Kelce -boyfriend of Taylor Swift– AND Andy Reid -his legendary coach- will be the head of a new dynasty in his discipline. Something like what Michele Giordano achieved long ago with Chicago Bulls in the globalized NBA.

Mahomes, on holiday these days, did not want to miss Messi’s presence at his home. And not only did he follow the match from his box, but he also exchanged a warm greeting with the captain of the Qatar 2022 world champions and with several of his teammates – including the recovered Benjamín Cremaschi.

To decode the situation, here is an example: it is as if Messi were in Rosario and went to see and greet the figure of a sport that does not have the meaning of his within its borders.

Not surprising, of course. For some reason, fingers and toes are no longer enough to count celebrities (LeBron James, Serena Williams, Will Smith and the list goes on) who went to see La Pulga live at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

And this speaks clearly, in case you have not yet reached the maturity to interpret reality, of the impact that Messi has in the world of sport. At 36 years old, Leo continues to be a pole of attraction and devotion from fans. The comparison is useless because, despite the passage of time, Messi continues to be dominant, the GOAT. But who wouldn’t want to go and see Mick Jagger OR Paul McCartney at a recital.

And that’s what happens with Messi. Because not only Mahomes went to visit him. But another 72,609 spectators from Missouri, in the heart of the United States, had an open stadium to enjoy: let’s not forget that Sporting Kansas City usually plays on a field that can accommodate 18,000 people.

Above all, Messi, who was approached twice by the invaders – remarkable for his muscular bodyguard – did not disappoint. 72 hours after leaving a pale image at the end of the adventure in Concachampions, Leo is once again the starter and, with a masterful assist and a bomb goal, he is the figure of Inter Miami who beat Sporting Kansas City 3-2 to remain in the playoff zone in the MLS Eastern Conference. He has five shouts and five assists in five games played this season.

This is a strong signal to quell the doubts that were beginning to bloom about his physical condition, especially after the muscle injury that forced him to stop for four weeks and left him without the possibility of participating in the tour with the Argentina national team by the United States. Messi, in addition to being far from the European elite, is once again approaching his “peak” and everyone is having fun. From Gerardo Martino who can’t find the right harmony for Inter Miami until Lionel Scaloniwho is thinking of defending the title in the Copa América which will begin next June.

He will not be a Yankee in King Arthur’s court. But if he is an Argentine who conquers the hearts of the United States with his football and not with his football. That’s why it’s something that, if you think about it a little deeper, not even the genius of Mark Twain could have imagined.