Lionel Messi realizes Chiefs owner’s dream ahead of $3bn Arrowhead relocation
The late Lamar Hunt’s dream of one day hosting a World Cup game at Arrowhead Stadium was fulfiled on a night when Lionel Messi stole the show for Argentina.
The dream has finally been realized.
The iconic Arrowhead Stadium that plays host to the NFL juggernauts Kansas City Chiefs has hosted a World Cup soccer game.
Arrowhead Stadium hosted its first ever World Cup match on TuesdayCredit: Getty
Known as the Kansas City Stadium for the 2026 World Cup due to FIFA’s exclusive naming rights regulations, the dreams put in motion by the late Lamar Hunt has finally come into fruition, 36 years later.
On Tuesday night, Kansas hosted its first game of the summer tournament, welcoming defending champions Argentina fronted by none other than Lionel Messi, and their opponents Algeria.
It was a Group J match in which the 38-year-old dominated the headlines, after he notched his first ever hat trick on the World Cup stage.
In doing so, on his 200th appearance for his country, Messi became the World Cup’s joint-top all-time scorer, equaling German icon Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals.
As if making one piece of history wasn’t enough, Messi also became the oldest player to ever score for Argentina in the World Cup, doing so exactly 20 years to the day apart from when he made his nation’s history by becoming the youngest ever goalscorer back on June 16, 2006.
It was only right that Messi rolled back the years, showing why he is perhaps wasting the twilight years of his career playing for Inter Miami in the MLS, in front of arguably one of the NFL’s greatest ever quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs superstar was in attendance at Arrowhead to witness history being made, and posted to social media on a few occasions throughout the match to comment on the footballing icon, albeit via only GOAT emojis.
“🐐,” Mahomes posted after Messi scored his first goal of the encounter.
