The dramatic music swells, mixing with the enthusiasm of a gathered crowd, as fans stream into Inter Miami's stadium for Lionel Messi's introduction to Major League Soccer. A voice-over from Messi himself, in Spanish: “Football, you know. It became difficult. But I was always happy playing football and being able to have fun with what I liked when I was a child. And today I can continue doing it here… which was one of the reasons why I made the decision to enjoy what I had lost again.” He walks onto the field as the crowd roars.
The first episode of this six-episode miniseries focuses on Messi's initial arrival in Miami: his first press conference, his first celebratory appearance in front of the fans, his first League Cup match with Inter Miami CF. There are a few bits of real action on the field, but this first episode is mostly about creating context: about Messi's motivations for coming to the US and the impact his decision has had. This context arises from interviews with the owners of Inter Miami CF, sports journalists and, of course, Leo Messi himself.
Star: Lionel Messi
Have you ever watched a Major League Soccer game on television? Have? Great, don't be mad at me for what I'm about to say: a lot of people haven't done it. Yes, there are hugely passionate fans and there is no denying that the league has grown in importance in its three decades of existence. However, despite having been around for a generation, it is still largely overshadowed in the consciousness of American sports fans by the big dogs of football, baseball and basketball.
Apple has made a big bet on that change. A year ago, the tech giant signed a massive 10-year exclusive deal to stream Major League Soccer matches on Apple TV+, and they're counting on the sport to soon be unrivaled in the American consciousness. It's important to see Messi Meets America in that context: this is not an objective sports documentary. It's an announcement from the league, an incentive for those still-indifferent masses to tune in and watch a game now that the sport's biggest star has arrived.
The thing is though... when you have a subject like Messi, even an ad can be convincing. I mean, hell, Michael Jordan in a McDonald's ad is still Michael Jordan, right?
It's hard not to get carried away with the excitement of Messi's arrival, which is cleverly presented here: we get a glimpse of his first press conference, his first presentation in a stadium full of fans and his first match: a League Cup match against Mexico. Cruz Azul Club. It truly is a momentous moment for Major League Soccer that Messi has chosen to come, one that eclipses even Inter Miami CF co-owner David Beckham's similar move a decade and a half earlier. Major League Soccer has not been a destination for stars of Messi's prominence, in part because there simply aren't any.
The first episode touches on a thread that will hopefully be explored further in later episodes: Messi's reasoning for coming to Miami. He could have returned to his old home with FC Barcelona or accepted a supposedly huge deal to play in the Saudi Pro League like his former rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead, he chose to join a club that occupies last place in a league that few around the world would consider on par with titans such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, Italian Serie A or the German Bundesliga.
Messi hints that he had not enjoyed the game in his final years with Paris Saint-Germain and that the pressures of being a global icon were overshadowing the sport itself. Some of his early experiences in the United States (he was spotted at a Miami-area Publix this summer doing his own shopping, something that would be unfathomable for him in Europe) suggest he may have found peace by stepping out of the spotlight for a bit. As high as expectations are among American fans, they cannot compare to the pressures of playing at the top clubs in Europe, and he may have the opportunity to focus on his family and the joy of playing once again. .
He arrives with a big splash, of course: that first game against Cruz Azul comes down to a last-minute penalty kick, which Messi nails to seal a surprising victory. "The moment he scored that goal, he ran to his family," Beckham notes. "That's why people love him."
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