Will the Messi circus turn into a zoo?

The hype is in overdrive and he's already secured a deal with the Hard Rock Café which has now launched the 'Messi chicken sandwich'

Rob Palmer. Commentator, ESPN

Friday, 14 July 2023, 14:34

The Lionel Messi circus is just rolling into Miami - the hype is in overdrive and the expectations are as high as the tallest American skyscraper.

He may be billed as the greatest footballer the world has ever seen, a sportsman who added the World Cup winners medal to the ultimate club collection, but even he is going to be blown away by the razzmatazz of US sports.

I thought a random email was spam this week when Apple dropped me a line asking for permission to use some commentary clips for his grand unveiling. It turns out the request was genuine, and my voice will be complimenting some of his most magical moments.

Can he sprinkle some of his stardust over the American game? I sincerely hope so, yet I fear the reality won't live up to the hype. He still possesses incredible skill and a desire to succeed as we saw in Qatar as he led Argentina to World Cup glory. There were also flashes of brilliance for PSG last season.

This isn't Paris and his teammates are from a different world. Inter Miami are bottom of the Western Conference and haven't won in 10 MLS matches. It's like asking Michael Jordan to improve a European basketball team or Tom Brady inspiring an American football team in a foreign land.

Yes, he'll have an impact. It will be almost impossible to buy a ticket for any game when he's on the team sheet. The supporters with Latin heritage will go wild. When I was in Miami in November, there were murals around the city and he'd already secured a deal with the Hard Rock Café in town - that was before there was any deal cited. This week, they launched the "Messi chicken sandwich".

"I can't wait for my fans all over the world to get a taste of one of my childhood favourites that still makes me feel at home, wherever in the world I am," Messi said in the press release. Not bad for a man who can't speak English.

I imagine he's oblivious to most of the plans that are being made in his name. The Messi burger is just the start of it. I remember the great Gordon Banks telling me that he realised he'd lost control when he was asked to enter the stadium on the back of an elephant for his American club in Fort Lauderdale. The sportsman becomes just a commodity, a means to selling tickets.

Messi is reported to be incentivised by sales of season passes to the MLS television station. For every new sign-up, he takes a cut. Like David Beckham, it's also suggested that he could start his own franchise. Many of his millions are already invested in Miami properties by his management company.

Now we can understand why he chose Florida when it became evident his beloved Barcelona couldn't afford to take him back. The other option would have been Saudi Arabia but we're all tired of the GOAT debate with Cristiano Ronaldo.

There's no relegation in MLS - so he can't be billed as the saviour of the struggling team. He'll certainly generate publicity for a game that is growing in the USA, but I don't think we'll see many flashes of his genius with a poor supporting cast.

He'll put bums on seats and is already selling thousands of burgers and pink Inter Miami shirts. But let's hope he never stoops as low as taking to the field on the shoulders of an animal borrowed from a local zoo.

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