{"id":640910,"date":"2026-03-08T12:23:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T12:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/640910\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T12:23:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T12:23:26","slug":"lionel-messi-gives-fans-what-they-want-in-baltimore-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/640910\/","title":{"rendered":"Lionel Messi gives fans what they want in Baltimore match"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fortune smiled on Justin Weitzman.<\/p>\n

In search of an early present for his son Liam\u2019s 14th birthday, the Timonium resident discovered tickets to the MLS game pitting Inter Miami and DC United at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon. And as luck would have it, Liam\u2019s favorite soccer player is Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so hyped,\u201d Liam said of his reaction when his father surprised him. \u201cI was like, \u2018What time are we leaving? Where are we going?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Justin Weitzman: \u201cWe lucked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Weitzman pair were just two of an announced sold-out crowd of 72,026 \u2014 including Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott \u2014 who filled the stands for Saturday\u2019s game and watched Inter Miami hold on for a 2-1 victory over D.C. United. And their primary reason for attending boiled down to a single name: Messi.<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in soccer history after being named the world\u2019s best player by FIFA eight times, winning 46 team trophies to become the most decorated player in professional football, and contributing to more than 1,300 goals (via goals and assists) for the highest total in the sport\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Messi\u2019s presence drew Julio Gonzalez of Lansdowne and two friends to the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is an amazing player,\u201d said Gonzalez, who is Guatemalan. \u201cAnd he is humble. He is the best in history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Messi\u2019s popularity was evident from the outset. More than an hour before the gates to the stadium opened at 3 p.m. \u2014 90 minutes before the game\u2019s start \u2014 thousands of fans lined up early.<\/p>\n

And the number of fans wearing pink Messi or blue-and-white Argentina jerseys dwarfed those donning D.C. United apparel. The Weitzmans wore the pink Messi jerseys, while Gonzalez and his friends mixed the Argentina and blue-and-red jerseys of FC Barcelona, Messi\u2019s European club.<\/p>\n

When D.C. United took the field for pregame warmups, hardly anyone could be enticed to move. But when Inter Miami ran out from the locker room, fans erupted in cheers and applause. That reaction only got louder when Messi was shown on the giant video screens behind both nets.<\/p>\n

Santiago Correa of Woodbridge, Virginia, who said that he is half Argentinian, said that Messi\u2019s appeal transcends many lines and grew in stature after he led Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022 and Copa America championships in 2021 and 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means the world to see him play,\u201d he said. \u201cSoccer is the biggest thing in Argentina. They treat Messi like a god.\u201d<\/p>\n

Justin Weitzman said he appreciates Messi\u2019s humility.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs great as he is, he\u2019s also very humble,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s a family man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"InterInter Miami\u2019s Lionel Messi, right, looks to teammate Mateo Silvetti to celebrate after scoring against D.C. United in the first half Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam\/Staff)<\/p>\n

Messi\u2019s presence even drew supporters who weren\u2019t necessarily there for the global superstar.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that much,\u201d Correa\u2019s friend, Ronald Rocha of Woodbridge, Virginia, said of his fandom of Messi. \u201cI\u2019m a [Real] Madrid fan. But I respect him. He\u2019s a good player, but all day [Cristiano] Ronaldo.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Loarte family of parents Luis and Silvia and sons Brandon and Ethan made the drive from Virginia. While Luis and the boys wore their DC United jerseys and scarves, Silvia unzipped her coat to reveal a pink Messi jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to see Messi play,\u201d said Luis Loarte, who took Brandon to watch Messi and FC Barcelona edge Manchester United, 1-0, in the International Champions Cup in Landover in 2017 and Messi and Argentina nip Chile, 1-0, in a Copa America group match in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 2024.<\/p>\n

Asked what would be the best outcome, Silvia Loarte said that she was hoping for a 4-0 rout. \u201cI\u2019m from Miami,\u201d she said proudly.<\/p>\n

D.C. United fans were few and far between. Ben and Tyler Marcheski drove 80 minutes from Chantilly, Virginia, wishing for a D.C. United victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little intimidating to play against a team with Messi,\u201d Tyler Marcheski said. \u201cBut I\u2019m excited to see Messi. Win or lose, it\u2019s still Messi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben Marcheski said that he was keeping his expectations low against an Inter Miami team that also included defensive midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and striker Greman Berterame.<\/p>\n

\"FansFans show their support for soccer star Lionel Messi during Saturday’s MLS game between Inter Miami and D.C. United at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam\/Staff)<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the greatest players alive and see the home team play against a dream team,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t expect them to win. They\u2019re like a super team.\u201d<\/p>\n

D.C. United fans might have been angered that the game in Baltimore sapped their team of the homefield advantage they would have enjoyed if the game was held at its usual home of Audi Field in Washington. But Messi\u2019s six appearances last year at larger-venue stadiums drew an average of 47,583 fans \u2014 more than double the MLS average of 21,754.<\/p>\n

There was some pregame consternation that Messi might not play as he has at times not suited up against inferior opponents. But he started Saturday and attracted the loudest cheers whenever he touched the ball.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes after De Paul flicked home a clean cross-box pass from left midfielder Telasco Segovia in the 17th minute, Messi provided the fans what they wanted. Right midfielder Mateo Silvetti led Messi with a pass into the left side of the box, and he lofted the ball over the left shoulder of D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson and into the back right post. In the 38th minute, Messi navigated right to left outside the box, and his left-footed boot just sailed wide of the right post.<\/p>\n

\n

SI CAPIT\u00c1N! \ud83e\udee1\u26bd\ufe0f Golazo de Leo Messi para duplicar el marcador \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/e5w7NBUS2b<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the 75th minute, D.C. United halved the deficit when forward Tai Baribo buried the ball after midfielder Jackson Hopkins\u2019 initial shot was blocked away by Inter Miami goalie Dayne St. Clair, a Maryland graduate. But Inter Miami kept D.C. United at arm\u2019s length the rest of the way.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said the team tries to avoid putting too much on Messi\u2019s plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, we don\u2019t usually put too much pressure on him,\u201d he said in Spanish. \u201cMaybe because we have already naturalized everything that Leo generates. So sometimes when you naturalize things, they seem normal to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pro-Inter Miami crowd in Baltimore surprised St. Clair, who said that some Terps coaches and players attended the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0definitely nice to be able to kind of go to\u00a0away\u00a0stadiums and know that you probably have more supporters than the actual home team, which is nice,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cObviously, that\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0be the case in every single stadium, but\u00a0I think it\u00a0was definitely\u00a0the\u00a0case tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Messi did not play in front of D.C. United fans when Inter Miami visited Audi Field in 2024 and 2025. So Saturday was a treat for Correa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have been disappointed a little bit,\u201d he said about Messi sitting out. \u201cI\u2019m just glad I came to see him play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at\u00a0eklee@baltsun.com<\/a>, 410-332-6200 and\u00a0x.com\/EdwardLeeSun<\/a>.<\/p>\n