Messi madness overtakes Atlanta on eve of Copa America opener

ATLANTA

The first sign that Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team are in town for the Copa America opener against Canada on Thursday night? Barricades and police officers along Peachtree Street protecting the back entrance to the Westin Hotel, and a giant crowd of fans wearing Messi jerseys surrounding an empty charter bus, waiting for a chance to catch a glimpse of their beloved hero.

The scheduled practice session was four hours away, but fans were camped outside, desperate to see the team board the bus.

Edy and Ana Alonzo, originally from Guatemala, came from North Augusta, South Carolina, on Tuesday with their sons, Hop, 10, and Marco Tulio, 5, who have been obsessed with Messi since he could walk. They have been sitting on folding chairs for four hours, hoping to see Messi. They waited three hours on Monday but had no luck, so they came back for another try.

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How long will they stay? “Until we see him, because I think my son likes Messi more than me,” Alonzo joked.

Their oldest daughter spent $1,800 to buy Edy and Marco Tulio a pair of tickets to the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (8 p.m., FS1).

The fervor for Messi and the Argentina team is on full display as the Copa America gets underway.

Yerba mate replaced Coca-Cola as the drink of choice in downtown Atlanta this week, and Argentina’s iconic sky blue and white striped jerseys far outweigh the black, red and gold striped jerseys of Atlanta United.

Messi and his world champion Argentina teammates begin defending their Copa America title and tens of thousands of die-hard fans have flocked here from Buenos Aires, Miami and across the United States to see what will likely be the last time that Messi will play in the prestigious tournament. tournament.

“Argentina undoubtedly has the most fans traveling for the Copa America,” said Antonio Paz, partner of Absolut Sport, the official travel partner of the tournament. “Eighty percent of the packages we sold were to fans from Argentina. They will participate in the three matches of the Argentine group in Atlanta, Miami and New York/New Jersey. Many also purchase tickets for the quarterfinals, semifinals and final at Hard Rock Stadium.

Norberto Torres is one of the Argentine tourists. The 37-year-old from Buenos Aires flew to Atlanta via Miami on Thursday with his father and nephews. From Atlanta, they will travel to New York for Argentina’s second group stage match against Chile, then to Miami for the June 29 match against Peru at Hard Rock Stadium.

Torres has accumulated many frequent flyer miles after The Albiceleste (sky blue and white). He has participated in previous Copa America finals in Chile and the United States, as well as World Cups in South Africa, Brazil and Qatar.

More than 40,000 Argentines have traveled 8,200 miles to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, despite inflation approaching 100%. Some fans reportedly sold their cars and emptied their savings accounts to make the trip. It’s common to see fans with giant Messi tattoos.

“The passion started before Messi, with Diego Maradona,” Torres said. “When you’re a little kid in Argentina and people ask you what you want to be, you say: ‘World Champion.’ Our love of futbol is in our blood. The Copa America is the tournament we have won more than any other, so it means a lot to our fans.

Tickets for Argentina’s matches are the best-selling of the 16-team tournament, played in 14 stadiums across the United States.

According to StubHub, the average ticket price for the Copa America is $283 this year, making it 98% more in demand than the 2016 tournament, the last time the United States hosted it. Argentina is the most in-demand team with an average ticket price of $462, and the match between Argentina and Peru at Hard Rock Stadium is the hottest Copa America match with an average ticket price of $519 and the best offer being $318.

Several hundred Argentine fans from South Florida had planned to meet groups of Argentine supporters from other American cities. Among their meeting points is a pep rally in the city’s West End, co-hosted by the Argentine Consulate in Atlanta.

Chris Moramarco, co-founder of Inter Miami supporters group Vice City, was one of the organizers of the trip from South Florida to Atlanta. He is from Rosario, Argentina, the same hometown as Messi and Inter Miami coach Tata Martino, and his roots in soccer run deep. His uncle, Federico Vairo Moramarco, played for the Argentina national team in the 1957 Copa America and the 1958 World Cup.

Moramarco has an impressive collection of Argentine football memorabilia, including a piece of the goal net from the Qatar final.

“You can’t really explain what the team means to the people of our country,” he said. “No matter how expensive the tickets are, Argentinians find a way to be there.”

Inter Miami radio presenter Fernando Fiore, originally from Argentina, said the team’s fans are more passionate than ever because of the Copa and World Cup victories, and the possibility that Messi is nearing the end of his career.

“He has fewer days ahead of him than behind, so people want to enjoy and be part of this long swan song, this last dance of Messi,” Fiore said.

Juan Jose Montes, originally from Colombia and living in Columbus, Georgia, was among the fans hanging around the Argentine hotel Wednesday, along with his son, Jeronimo. They wore Colombian jerseys but wore Messi jerseys and posed for photos in front of a Messi banner outside the Westin.

“Watching Messi, the greatest player, with a team like Argentina, it’s great to see those of us who love futbol,” Montes said. “Even though we are Colombian and we want our team to win, we also appreciate Messi and the Argentine style of play. And this may be the last time he plays the Copa America, so it’s a moment not to be missed.