Lionel Messi has taken the center-stage in Miami a few hours before the College Football Playoff (CFP) Grand Final on January 19, 2026. A viral video of the Argentine superstar shopping in one of the local department stores sparked the social media with fans speculating whether Messi would be in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium in the championship of the Miami Hurricanes versus the Indiana Hoosiers.
As fans went wild on the Internet, Messi missed the match, as it was established. It was despite the star in Florida sports in Inter Miami that the star in the MLS chose not to be on the field during the college football finale. The hope of fans, who wanted to watch Messi applaud the Hurricanes, was shattered though the craze around his name was a perfect demonstration of the so-called “Messi Effect”- his power to make headlines even without playing on a football pitch.
Even the Grand Final was historic. Indiana with Cuban-American quarterback Fernando Mendoza against the Miami Hurricanes was the drama of the game. Miami, with the desire of a home victory, having endured a very hard season, introduced electric energy into Hard Rock Stadium. Nonetheless, the loss of Messi did not reduce the level of intensity in the field as both teams were fighting to win the much desired championship.
Off the field, the scenario points to an increased challenge of Major League Soccer. Even with the massive commercial influence that Messi has, and his ease of assimilating into the Florida sports culture, MLS has not been able to capitalize on his superstardom to generate regular viewership.
