As Lionel Messi soared to the top of global soccer, and established himself as the greatest player the sport has ever seen, a noisy minority of skeptics, most of them British, would pose a silly question: Sure, Messi could dazzle on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Spain, but can he do it on a cold, rainy night at Stoke?
Over the years, it morphed into a meme. When Messi moved to Miami, it morphed into American variations. And this week, as snow and sub-zero temperatures approached Kansas City, it took on new life: Could Messi do it on a freezing cold night in Kansas?
The definitive answer came Wednesday night: Yes.
With his body sheathed in black, and hand-warmers in his gloves, and a minus-8-degree wind chill biting at his cheeks, Messi scored the only goal of a CONCACAF Champions Cup knockout-round first leg against Sporting KC.
Early in the second half, he took a ball down deftly on his chest, wriggled away from Kansas City defenders, and finished with his right foot, off the inside of the far post.
He was not at his best throughout the 90 minutes — but nobody was. The temperature was 4 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff. The conditions were so miserable that, despite the stars on show, the stands at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, were half empty. Many fans had been skeptical that Messi would even show up, because, well, why the heck would Inter Miami risk the GOAT with a full season ahead of them?
But show up is exactly what Messi did.
He and his Inter Miami teammates hopped on a plane Wednesday morning; they disembarked in puffy parkas and winter hats, prepared for the type of cold Messi had never experienced.
And, in one of the coldest soccer games on U.S. soil ever recorded, with every heavy breath visible and illuminated by floodlights, with icicles forming on some players’ beards, they beat Sporting 1-0. They’ll head back to Miami next week for the second leg with an advantage.
And Messi?
In Year 3 at Inter Miami, he is off and running, likely toward another MVP.
He endured a crunching challenge inside two minutes.
He pulled the strings, as he always does.
He needed only 56 minutes to assure the world that, yes, he can do his thing anywhere. Even at age 37. Even on a frigid night in Kansas.