Lionel Messi can in fact do it on a frigid night in Kansas City.
The Argentine World Cup winner led Inter Miami to a crucial 1-0 win over host Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Messi scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute.
The temperature at kickoff was seven degrees Fahrenheit. The feel-like temperature dropped to nine below zero. Messi and several of his Miami teammates looked visibly uncomfortable before kickoff, with Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez particularly stiff as he tried to warm up.
“I’ve never been through anything like that, that type of cold,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. “We couldn’t feel our extremities. The players were saying the same thing. After 10 minutes they couldn’t feel their hands or their feet. Football is a sport of feeling. Honestly, we adapted thanks to the attitude and mentality of our players. We knew we’d have to fight tonight.”
Despite speculation that Messi, 37, would not play because of the cold, the Miami captain played the entire match and was fully engaged throughout. Known to walk the pitch as he studies his opponent’s movements, instead, Messi moved swiftly and diligently in search of the ball. He was not dispossessed at all in the match and was generally a menace to SKC’s players.
The conditions affected both teams, though, with the first 45 minutes of play featuring poor touches and errant passes. Messi’s first attempt on goal in the 28th minute was a shot from around 20 yards that he sent into the stands. Miami dominated possession and gradually pinned the home side inside their own half.
That allowed Miami playmaker Sergio Busquets to chip a ball into Messi, who settled the ball deftly off his chest inside the SKC penalty. One chop with his left foot and a quick finish with his right to the far post beat the outstretched arm of SKC goalkeeper John Pulskamp.
Another look at Messi’s goal off the ball from Busquets pic.twitter.com/YfqDmzp1gb
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 20, 2025
“He has done that 1,000 times, but it isn’t normal,” Mascherano said. “We’re very lucky to have him on our team.”
It was a professional performance from Miami and an important win for Mascherano, who is in his first year as club manager.
“I’m very proud of them because I think it’s impossible to play in these conditions. It’s not humane. The players gave 100 percent. We’re happy. We’ll try to rest after a very difficult game for us. Now we’ll think about our opener in MLS on Saturday,” Mascherano said. “It was my first game managing a game in these conditions. It was difficult for me. I tried to communicate positive things but they were the ones who had to go out and play.”
The shutout was an added boost ahead of the second leg in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 25. The winner of the tie will face Jamaican club Cavalier S.C. in the round of 16.
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(Photo: Kyle Rivas /Getty Images)
