Lionel Messi mania will be on full display Saturday night when Inter Miami takes on Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena
HARRISON, N.J. -- The greatest soccer player in the world is coming to Red Bull Arena this weekend. Expect the place to be a madhouse.
Lionel Messi will make his MLS regular season debut for Inter Miami against the Red Bulls.
Messi playing in New Jersey has sports fans of all ages buzzing. The 36-year-old Argentinian's impact since joining Inter Miami has been remarkable. He has 10 goals and three assists in just eight matches. All the goals came during Inter Miami's run to the Leagues Cup championship and two of the assists came in the club's win over FC Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on Wednesday.
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Saturday night's match at Red Bull Arena will be his first in MLS play, and the ticket prices on the secondary market reflect the magnitude of his presence. The cheapest is $350, while the most expensive is $5,000.
"It's a little too expensive ... it's our dream, though, because he's the GOAT, man," one fan said.
Messi mania has long been a cultural phenomenon around the globe. Now, it's captivating the sports landscape in the U.S.
"No, this is good. Oh man, I wanna see! I love him!" one man said.
Messi's has scored more than 800 career goals, has won the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the world's best player, seven times, and won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. Now, he is bringing a massive spotlight to MLS and his opponents.
"I'm hoping those eyeballs see that this is an interesting storyline, with what Red Bull have to offer and some of the players that are given opportunities. And that's what our young players are doing, working to create a name. Maybe they won't be up to Messi standards, but maybe one day," Red Bulls head coach Troy Lesesne said.
Like Daniel Edelman, a 20-year-old rising star from New Jersey who will now be face to face with a legend.
"Privilege to play against him, but I'm looking forward to seeing how I can match up against him and see if I can stop him and show him that a kid from Warren, New Jersey can do all right," Edelman said.
You can almost see Edelman picturing it going against Messi, a player who transcends the sport to the point where fans will pay for just a glimpse of him, if they can.
"I would be there in the front seat screaming 'Messi.' And I would bet like one dollar that they're going to win," 10-year-old Chrissy Semedo said.
"We're going to be watching it from the TV," 9-year-old Dariel Espinosa said.
