Lionel Messi’s iconic soccer status means he is no stranger to fans.
The Argentine legend has endeared himself to a whole new set of soccer fans since his move to Inter Miami.
Since his Vice City arrival, Joe Biden revealed he was a fan of Messi after awarding the Miami man the Presidential Medal of Freedom award.
USMNT star Christian Pulisic also lauded Messi when choosing between the World Cup winner and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Messi fan club however has just earned itself a new member, with US actor Anthony Mackie the latest to reveal his admiration for the 37-year-old.
Anthony Mackie speaks on Lionel Messi admiration
Mackie has been in the headlines recently following the new release of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’.
During his press tour for the film, Mackie spoke to Clarin about his love for soccer and his affection for Inter-Miami man Messi.
“Everybody that knows soccer loves Messi. He’s the guy. My boys, all four of them play soccer. They know much more about soccer than I do, so there are certain players that they have their jerseys and they look up to. They are really into the idea of soccer becoming bigger in the States – with MLS – and taking them to games so they can experience it.”
Messi is a big fan of Marvel
The Argentine will no doubt be used to high praise but Mackie’s kind words might strike more of a chord with him.
That is because Messi is said to be a big fan of Marvel, shown by his multiple Marvel-inspired celebrations during his time at the Chase Stadium.
Messi revealed to the Miami Herald in 2023, that his three sons Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro are the reason behind the celebrations.
“My sons have not started school yet, so every night we watch Marvel superhero movies. They came up with the idea and asked that whenever I have a game and score a goal, I do a Marvel superhero celebration. That’s how it started, and we continued that ritual. Each time we watched a new movie, we would practice a goal celebration.”