Lionel Messi is the most famous athlete currently playing in the United States, with the Inter Miami star set to attend the biggest annual sporting event in America this weekend in the Super Bowl.
The Argentine international is believed to be attending Super Bowl LIX this Sunday, where the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to become the first NFL side to achieve a three-peat against the Philadelphia Eagles.
With NBA star Steph Curry naming Messi as a sporting inspiration, the 37-year-old’s impact in the United States is already something that is attracting praise and plaudits from the biggest athletes in the country.
And Messi can now add Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes to that list, with the quarter-back lauding the Inter Miami star ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl, where the former FC Barcelona superstar might be in the crowd.
Mahomes labels Messi as ‘the GOAT’ ahead of potential Super Bowl appearance
Speaking to the press ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Mahomes praised Messi as the greatest soccer player of all time and shared how excited he is for the Inter Miami superstar to potentially attend the game on Sunday.
With Inter Miami having a pre-season game Saturday night in Honduras, it could be a tight squeeze for Messi to make the big game in Louisiana 24 hours later, even with Mahomes sharing how excited he is to potentially meet the forward again.
Mahomes said when asked about Messi and his reputation in soccer: “Messi is the GOAT in his profession. Having someone like that at the game is going to be amazing because I can showcase who I am and what talent I have.
“I saw him play in Kansas last year; I think he scored a couple of goals in that match. That’s when I recognized the greatness he displays in every game. He’s someone I can look up to and aspire to reach his level one day. I’m looking forward to having Messi in the stands for Super Bowl 2025.”
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Messi has already decided White House invitation in recent weeks
Messi might be one of the most famous people on the planet having dominated soccer for nearly two decades and now broken America since moving to Inter Miami in 2023, where the forward has continued to break records.
Yet the Argentine international hasn’t exactly been keen on attending big events, with Messi declining to go to the White House a few weeks ago after being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former president Joe Biden.
Indeed, Messi attending the Super Bowl would be quite the occasion for the Inter Miami attacker, and the forward making an appearance after Mahomes’ comments could be the beginning of a great friendship in American sports.