Soccer legend Lionel Messi is coming to Kansas City. Here’s why it’s such a big deal

On Saturday night, Sporting KC will return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since 2010 — and for an MLS match for the first time since 2007.

The occasion draws upon history, as April 13 is also the 28th anniversary of the first MLS match in Kansas City. On Saturday night, members of that team and past stars of the Arrowhead years will be present.

But let’s not be fooled: The sole reason Sporting is returning to Arrowhead lies on the left foot of a 5-foot-7 man from Rosario, Argentina.

It’s simply because of Lionel Messi.

Having seen a variety of great players over the years, including the legendary Pelé, Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes says, for him, Messi is the best ever.

“There’s no player that’s ever been around like Messi,” Vermes said. “Whether you’re a soccer fan or not, to just go and watch somebody who is the best in that sport ever, what an unbelievable opportunity.”

Over 70,000 people are expected to attend on Saturday, most to catch a glimpse at global greatness. Along with Messi, Inter Miami’s star-studded roster brings a group of FC Barcelona legends like Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba to the Midwest.

Busquets may be the greatest to ever play his position, and Suarez has been a heralded goalscorer both at the club and international levels.

But remove Messi from the equation, is the match still moving from the max capacity 21,500-seat stadium of Children’s Mercy Park to the 76,000-plus seats at Arrowhead? The answer is no.

David Beckham’s Galaxy never commanded a move to Arrowhead. Ticket prices to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Gareth Bale play at Children’s Mercy Park never reached triple digits just to get in the door.

No. Everything that happens at Arrowhead on Saturday comes down to Messi.

So what’s so special about him?

Vermes says no coach has ever put together a game plan that can stop Messi.

“I’m not gonna be the first guy to figure that out,” Vermes joked.

Since his debut in 2005, Messi’s career has captivated the global game at a global level. He has scored 644 goals in 799 matches, just with his club teams, and 79 goals in 115 matches for Argentina.

He’s won the UEFA Champions League, arguably the biggest club competition in the world, four times. He’s won 12 league titles with Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain (PSG), five Copa Del Rey’s (Spain’s equivalent to the U.S. Open Cup) and a Copa America and World Cup title for Argentina to boot.

He’s been named the world’s best player with the Ballon d’Or trophy a record eight times. He was named the best player at the World Cup twice for his performances in 2014 and 2022.

The accolades are impressive. But the experience is more. He’s known for incredible weaving dribbling moves. He can shoot from any angle. The moment he gets on the ball, players perk up and fans get to the edge of their seats in anticipation of what he might do.

Kansas City has experienced plenty of greatness over the years. Patrick Mahomes is the most recent example; he captivates attention and can defy the imagination of those in attendance at any given moment.

But there’s a global gravitas that comes with Messi.

Messi is a national hero in his home country. He’s nearly immortalized for winning the 2022 World Cup.

While on the road during his time in MLS, he commanded sold-out crowds and borderline home-match atmospheres as fans flocked to get maybe their one opportunity to see him.

While Inter Miami traveled down to Monterrey, Mexico, this week for CONCACAF Champions League play, fans lined the streets waiting for the bus to arrive at the team hotel.

The stadium scenes included barricades and fencing around the field, and multiple PA announcements asking fans not to run on the field to try to take a photo with Messi. While Miami was soundly beaten, the stands of a mostly pro-Monterrey crowd were visibly dotted with pink Miami and Messi gear.

By the end of the night on Saturday, it will be the largest crowd to ever watch a soccer match in Missouri. A significant portion of those attending are doing so just to catch a glimpse of Messi’s greatness.

Many around Sporting KC have called the 2010 friendly against Manchester United a launching point for Sporting KC into the opening of Children’s Mercy Park.

It was a monumental moment for soccer in Kansas City, just as Saturday’s match will be — with 70,000 fans expected to see a regular-season MLS match.

And while acknowledging a significant amount of the crowd will be there for Messi, Vermes hopes to win those fans over too, much like his team did when defeating Manchester United in that 2010 friendly.

“We have an opportunity as a league if they haven’t become soccer fans, maybe they become soccer fans,” Vermes said. “More importantly, maybe they become Sporting fans.”

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.