I’ve been lucky enough to see some soccer stars in some amazing stadiums over the course of my (as of this Saturday) 45 years on this Earth. I fell in love with Fulham FC after taking in a game at historic Craven Cottage, witnessed the hysteria of Die Gelbe Wand (The Yellow Wall) at a Borussia Dortmund match, and saw Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic battle it out in an exhibition at Soldier Field in Chicago.
So, when it was announced that reigning World Cup champions Argentina and the greatest of all-time, Lionel Messi, would be coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium this summer, I reacted accordingly, meaning I jumped up in the air and thought about trying a bicycle kick before realizing I would only hurt myself.
Lionel Messi is the Bo Jackson of soccer
There are some things that you want to witness in person, and for me, seeing Messi on a football pitch (if he does, indeed, play) is near the top. He transcends the game, might be the most famous person on the planet and has won every possible award in his career. He’s a magician with the ball, breaking through defenders when it doesn’t seem possible and has been doing so at the top clubs in the world for seemingly decades. For fans across the globe, he is what Bo Jackson is to Auburn fans: almost so unreal that it seems like folklore, except you’ve seen it.
If you don’t follow soccer, I get it. It’s not the most popular sport in this country, but for those who are at least a bit intrigued by the legend that is Messi, I highly recommend going to Jordan-Hare Stadium on June 9 just to say that you saw him live in person. It would be like seeing The Beatles when they first came to the USA, or being at a Chicago Bulls game when Michael Jordan was suiting up.
He’s that good, that legendary. That once-in-a-lifetime superstar whose name will be forever spoken about as the greatest. I’m not going to miss it for anything.