Lionel Messi arrived in Kansas City on June 1, 2026, with the Argentina national team to begin training camp preparations. The Midwestern welcome was immediately mocked on The Bill Simmons Podcast, where Adam Friedland joked that "literally there was a tornado warning first day they were there," picturing Messi standing silently in a storm. Friedland went on to declare that "he's like twice as good as Ronaldo," while host Bill Simmons compared a high-profile guest appearance on his network to the historic signing of "Messi" by Inter Miami.
The debate over his global stature remains unmatched. On The Pat McAfee Show, host Pat McAfee and contributor Ty Schmidt discussed the most famous athlete on Earth, with Schmidt confidently putting forward "Lionel Messi. Leo Messi" as the definitive answer. His status as the sport's ultimate icon was echoed on Pardon My Take, where PFT Commenter declared, "Messi's my GOAT." Guest Rob Stone agreed, explaining he converted from the Cristiano Ronaldo camp because the Argentine is "just a quiet guy who gets stuff done in remarkable fashion." On The Rest Is Football, Gary Lineker even weighed him against Diego Maradona, pointing to "Messi's all-round game and his longevity of career" as the deciding factors.
However, not everyone is predicting a triumphant final act. On On with Kara Swisher, host Kara Swisher noted that this tournament is "expected to be the final World Cup for some legends of the game, like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo." While Fresh Air's Laura Williamson fondly recalled the magic of "watching Lionel Messi lift the World Cup trophy" in Qatar, journalist Tariq Panja offered a brutal reality check, predicting that "Messi and Argentina I think will go out against the first good team that plays them." All eyes will be on the pitch to see if the aging legend can defy the skeptics one last time.