"One of his teammates that reached out" - Bakery owner reveals how Argentina teammates surprised Lionel Messi on his birthday
The owner of New Jersey-based Dulce De Leche Bakery revealed how Argentine superstar Lionel Messi's teammates planned a surprise for him on his birthday. The ex-Barcelona icon turned 37 on Monday, June 24, and was amazed when his colleagues turned up at midnight with a special version of his favourite cake.
Established in 2007, Dulce De Leche is run by the Urgilleses, an Argentinian-American family settled in New Jersey. Owner Julieta Urgilles claimed they received a call from the Argentina team around 9pm on Sunday after they had closed their business for the evening.
However, when they realized it was for Messi, a national hero and an inspiration for Argentines around the world, they immediately sprung into action. In conversation with The Athletic, Julieta recalled the situation, saying (via New York Times):
"One of his teammates that reached out just said, ‘We want to celebrate his birthday for him in his room at midnight. What can you guys do?'... So of course, we rallied."
The bakery rushed to pick up their employees from their homes and help them assemble the cake. They made Messi's favourite treat, their traditional 'house cake', filled with cream, peaches and dulce de leche (caramelized milk).
With the Argentina squad living 40 minutes away from their location, they managed to finish the work and deliver the cake at 11.30pm, just in time for the surprise. While initially secretive about their star clients, they started going viral after the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner posted the cake on Instagram.
Julieta adds:
"It's been great, but it's also just a really big honor to have been a part of it. We feel like he's brought our family, and our country and the community, just such joy and pride, and it was our 'thank you' to him. We're just really excited about it and something we'll never forget."
"Miami might as well be Argentina" - Bakery owner Julieta Urgilles talks about Lionel Messi's impact on America
The owner of Dulce de Leche bakery, who crafted the stunning cake for Lionel Messi's birthday (June 24), detailed the impact of the Argentine maestro's move to Inter Miami.
Julieta Urgilles currently operates her shop in New York and New Jersey. However, after a surge in their popularity from Messi's Instagram posts, they are planning an expansion with a new 5000-square foot store in the superstar's new home, Miami.
Speaking about the cultural and social significance of the ex-Barcelona star's arrival in the country, Julieta said (via The Athletic and New York Times):
"In Miami, it’s crazy. Miami might as well be Argentina at this point... But [with] the Argentinian community in Miami and then now with Messi being there, it was kind of a no-brainer. We get requests every day from people all over the country saying like, ‘open one here, open one there.’ And Miami has become a second home for all of us."