On Wednesday night, Lionel Messi conquered another piece of America. This time, it was FC Cincinnati as the Argentina superstar and Inter Miami CF earned a ticket to the U.S. Open Cup final -- the oldest ongoing soccer competition in the country. This was days after lifting the Leagues Cup, the club's first-ever trophy.
Wednesday's game carried the same echoes we have heard ever since he played his first game for Miami on July 21 against Cruz Azul. "Messi, Messi, Messi," chanted by both Miami and Cincy fans. Kids, adults, even the elderly (I personally witnessed three Ohio grandmothers inside the grounds at TQL Stadium) wearing his Argentina shirt.
Eight matches in 32 days. From Dallas to Philly, Cincy and back to South Florida, the national sentiment seems to align with something I feel extremely strongly about: Messi is the biggest arrival in American sports history, and when it's all said and done, he will have been (along with Michael Jordan) the biggest star to have ever played here.

Because of his global recognition, by the time the World Cup comes to this country in 2026, I daresay he could even surpass Jordan. No, I am not comparing these athletes or conjuring a rivalry; I am simply saying the spectacle of Messi is that gargantuan.

And he hasn't even played an MLS game yet.
Now, people will scoff at this. They will angrily comment, defending other athletes and other storylines, but I am simply not interested.
I have been covering his story since even before his arrival, talking to people from all over the country and seeing how this diminutive man is writing a new chapter of sports and culture in America. I keep getting texts and emails from friends who have never before cared about the game. I have interviewed folks from all corners of America and chatted to professional athletes and coaches from different institutions. I have talked to Messi himself and seen what's orbiting around him.

Simply put, what's happening now is spectacular.

Things will slow down at some point. It's only natural for them to do so. After all, Messi will have to take a break; he already showed some fatigue this week, and I don't even know if he will start on Saturday against the New York Red Bulls. Argentina will also require his services next month, and then there is the offseason.
But know this: the wave of Lionel Messi will stop only when he decides it stops. For the rest of us mere mortals? We can only hope to witness and enjoy its overwhelming force whenever it comes to town.