Miami Police have been placed on red alert ahead of a potential homecoming for Lionel Messi. Argentine icon Messi is hoping to help his side win their World Cup group.
And if this happens, Lionel Scaloni’s side will face their last 32 opponents in the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 3. That would see Inter Miami star Messi return to his adopted home.
Local police know this will risk potential chaos in and around the stadium. Messi has become a cult figure since joining Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
He is the most famous face in the MLS – and has taken the profile of the league to a whole new level. Thousands of fans are expected to head to the stadium for the knockout game in the hope of catching a glimpse of Messi.
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This will cause a headache for police, who have started planing for this eventuality. It’s understood extra officers have been placed on standby while a plan to boost security measures outside the stadium is also being discussed.
Messi, who turns 39 on Thursday, made a sensational start to the World Cup by scoring a hat-trick in his side’s opening win over Algeria. Argentina face Austria in Dallas on Monday, before completing the group stage against Jordan, also in Dallas on June 27.
La Albiceleste want to top Group J in order to avoid a potential clash with Spain in the round of 32. Scaloni led Argentina to their third World Cup in Qatar and if they want to retain the trophy, Messi will no-doubt be pivotal.
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View 2 ImagesLionel Messi scored a sublime hat-trick against Algeria(Image: Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
“What Leo did is difficult to explain,” Scaloni said after beating Algeria. “We see him every day and he still surprises us. He has been doing it for 20 years, every single match. What he did today at 38 is difficult to explain.”
But the Argentina boss is well aware that his team can’t dismiss anyone, having memorably lost against Saudi Arabia in 2022. “This team knows very well that anyone can beat us,” Scaloni admitted.
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“If you get a little bit overconfident, anyone can beat you. We have plenty of examples; we were the first against Saudi Arabia.”
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