"GOAT watching GOAT " - Fans react as boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and MLB star Ken Griffey Jr. are spotted watching Lionel Messi's Inter Miami
Floyd Mayweather and Ken Griffey Jr. were the latest star names to watch Lionel Messi in action for Inter Miami against Nashville on Thursday (August 31).
Plenty of celebrities have visited the Herons' stomping ground to watch Messi amid his spectacular start to his career in the MLS. The Argentine icon has already bagged 11 goals and three assists in nine games across competitions.
Lionel Messi, 36, has attracted star-studded names to DRV PNK Stadium including Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, and DJ Khalid. Mayweather and Griffey Jr. were the latest as the duo were recorded getting snaps in the crowd at Inter Miami's 21,000-capacity stadium.
The superstar duo enjoyed memorable careers in their respective sports and they decided to enjoy their downtime by watching perhaps the greatest footballer of all time.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner was instrumental in guiding Inter Miami to their first major trophy as they won the Leagues Cup. He finished the tournament as top scorer with 10 goals in seven games.
Messi will now look to help propel Vice City up the MLS Eastern Conference table. They sit 14th but have plenty of more games to play than those above them due to their long journey to the Leagues Cup.
Ken Griffey Jr. has taken up photography following his retirement and he will have had his camera firmly set on Inter Miami's captain. Meanwhile, Mayweather could be spotted in a blue cap watching on.
One fan claimed that the icons had visited DRV PNK to watch a fellow GOAT in action:
"GOAT watching GOAT."
Here's how Twitter reacted to the two sporting legends watching Lionel Messi make his first start in the MLS:
USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter lauded the impact of Lionel Messi's arrival in the MLS with Inter Miami
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has revealed that he was in the stands to watch Inter Miami beat Nashville in the Leagues Cup final on August 20. He will have watched on as Lionel Messi once again ran the show with a sublime finish.
The American tactician has talked up Messi's arrival in the MLS as well as his teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. He said (via The Athletic):
“You have this idea of what it could be, of what MLS is, and then you totally break the mold by getting someone like Messi and taking it to a different level."
Berhalter continued by discussing the impact the trio joining Inter Miami has had on coverage of the MLS:
“It’s been amazing exposure. … Overall, it’s just blown me away the impact that Lionel Messi can have. And not only him, but when you bring (Sergio) Busquets and (Jordi) Alba into it, how it can translate onto the field.”
Apple claimed back in July that its MLS Season Pass streaming service had hit record viewership numbers following Messi's debut. Clearly, the legendary forward's move to DRV PNK is having massive implications from a commercial standpoint as well as sporting implications.