Luke and Kari Smith and their 10-year-old son Brigham had never seen anything like it.
As they looked out upon a packed Kansas City Stadium for Argentina’s World Cup soccer game against Algeria on June 16, the emotions were so overwhelming, the experience so unique, Brigham was moved to tears.
Argentine fans adore star player Lionel Messi in a way many Americans can’t fathom, insists Luke.
“Chiefs fans love Patrick Mahomes. Bulls fans loved Michael Jordan,” he says. “But you could just tell Messi is their national treasure.”
The Iola family were in the stands to watch Argentina defeat Algeria, 3-0. Messi scored three goals, a hat trick, in the game. Weeks later, the family is still riding the high of what Luke calls “the best sporting event I’ve ever been to, ever.”
Kari nods her head in agreement. And that’s coming from two adults who admit they aren’t exactly soccer fanatics. Luke is director of technical operations for Southern Star, while Kari is the payroll and accounts payable manager at the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.
“It’s not that I don’t like soccer,” Kari explains. “I just have never really been into it or watched it. But I found myself grabbing Brigham’s arm every time Messi got the ball. Whatever he has, you could feel it. He’s that electric.”
Kari’s right. Lionel Messi, arguably the best to ever play the game, is competing in his sixth World Cup. He’s the World Cup’s all-time leading goal-scorer, has played in more World Cup games than anyone else, and has been named the world’s best player by FIFA eight times.
No professional player in history has won more team trophies.
With Messi as their captain, Argentina won the 2022 World Cup. He and his teammates now hope to defend their title, taking on Egypt Tuesday morning in the Round of 16. Messi is this tournament’s leading scorer.
The Smith family didn’t know much about Messi before the game. But the World Cup had been on their minds “ever since we knew the World Cup was coming to Kansas City,” Kari said.
“We’d go back and forth, back and forth, and then we’d look at tickets and say, ‘No.’ But we just kept talking about it, and we knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
It certainly was. Brigham is all smiles as he recalls taking off his shirt and waving it alongside the Argentine fans. They didn’t sit down once.
“It was 110 minutes of standing, jumping, screaming, cheering,” Luke remembers.
The stadium was packed to capacity with 69,045 spectactors, the overwhelming majority from Argentina. But the environment was remarkably different from other sporting events the family has attended.
“One thing that was really cool was how they felt about their team, and Messi in particular,” Luke says. “But even when the Algerian anthem played, or when they showcased an Algerian fan, everyone cheered or was silent. The atmosphere was very wholesome. They loved everybody. They loved Argentina more, of course, but they weren’t going to ruin the moment for Algeria.”
