MIAMI (AP) — A hamburger-drink combo named Lionel Messi. A giant sketch of the soccer star’s smiling face on a restaurant wall alongside a viral meme from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A beer with a pink label to match the color of the Inter-Miami jersey he will be wearing.
Wherever you go in Miami these days, something reminds you of the Argentine soccer legend’s impending arrival.
There’s no hiding the euphoria Messi sparked in Miami as he begins a new phase in his Major League Soccer career in one of the most Latin American cities in the United States. But his arrival also brings a touch of sadness, as fans know he’s nearing the end of his career at 36.
Messi announced on June 7 that he will play for Inter Miami. This move is likely to reinvigorate football in the United States and South Florida with one of the most recognizable personalities in the sports world. More than 100,000 Argentines live in Miami, which will host 2026 World Cup games.
The seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual award, is finishing two years at Paris Saint-Germain and is expected to make his Inter Miami debut against Mexico side Cruz Azul on July 21.
In his more than 17-year career with his country’s national team, Messi has scored more than 100 goals, including two against France at the 2022 World Cup, a game Argentina won on penalties.
“I love that he’s in Miami because my kids can experience him the way I experienced Maradona (fellow Argentine soccer player Diego),” said Maximiliano Alvarez, one of the owners of the Fiorito restaurant, which has a huge mural on its wall messi “It also makes me sad and nostalgic because it looks like it’s the beginning of his retirement.”
“Coming into this league is not the same as playing in the European league,” said the Argentine businessman.
Álvarez and his brother Cristian had the original mural of Messi’s face painted at the restaurant in 2018, when many people criticized the soccer star for his role in the poor performance of the Argentina national team. His idea was to honor him and the resilience he brings and never give up.
In 2021, they renovated the restaurant in Little Haiti in Northeast Miami with another mural of Messi on the same wall, this one by Chilean-American artist Claudio Picasso.
On the walls of another restaurant called Kao Bar & Grill in the Hallandale Beach area north of Miami Beach, Messi’s meme “¡Andá pa’ alla bobo!” “Get over there, dumbass!” is immortalized along with a giant drawing of the soccer star.
Furious after Argentina’s heated victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, Messi said these words to a Dutch player who stopped by during his interview.
Messi, known for his calm and reserved way of speaking, regretted the comment, which went viral immediately.
“He obviously regretted it… but it was left as a joke,” said Augusto Falopapas, the artist who painted the meme on the restaurant’s wall.
To the south, in the Wynwood neighborhood, an area near downtown Miami known for its former warehouses-turned-art galleries, other artists have painted murals of Messi.
One is two huge images of the player, one with a smiling face, the other is running like in a game. And there are plans for more, including a 10-metre-tall mural of Messi kissing the world champion in an open car park.
Messi’s arrival also had an impact on breweries such as Prison Pals Brewing Co., which sell a beer bearing the number 10 of Messi. The can is painted pink and features black lettering, a recreation of Inter Miami’s colors.
Argentinian grill The Knife is offering a Messi Mojito and Hard Rock Café is launching a new ‘Messi Chicken Sandwich’ made with the soccer star’s favorite ‘Milanesas’. Also available for sale are Messi t-shirts, pants, hooded sweatshirts and water bottles.
“When we learned that he had made the decision to make Miami his home in South Florida, it was incredible for us,” said Elena Alvarez, vice president of worldwide sales for Hard Rock International. “We’re very, very grateful to have him as a brand ambassador and we’re launching (the new sandwich) while he moves here.”
Near Miami Beach, in the Café Ragazzi of Argentine-Venezuelan singer-songwriter Ricardo Montaner, they await his return.
Messi was there on vacation after winning the America’s Cup with Argentina in 2021. The star caused an uproar at the restaurant when fans greeted him and forced staff, including waiters and kitchen workers, to form a wall around him to protect him and allow him to exit to his car.
Now they want to offer the football legend more privacy and are considering putting up curtains.
“We await you in Miami with open arms,” said Emiliano Valdés, the café’s general manager. “He’s revolutionizing the whole city and hasn’t arrived yet.”
