MONTERREY, Mexico — Wherever Lionel Messi goes, chaos follows. Fans will camp outside hotels for hours just to catch a glimpse of the Argentine forward, while reporters line up cameras to ensure an endless live feed of his movements for those watching at home.
It was no different when Inter Miami CF touched down in Mexico on Tuesday for their first competitive match outside of the United States and Canada, a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal second-leg tie against Monterrey. Though it ended in a 3-1 Miami defeat (5-2 on aggregate) and a quarterfinal exit at the hands of the five-time champions, the spectacle will live long in the memory.
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Friction between the two clubs and fan bases was expected after the first leg at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which Monterrey had won 2-1. Supporters of the club known as Rayados (“The Striped-Ones”) — took over Miami’s stadium as the MLS had failed to sell out. At full-time, Messi and head coach Gerardo Martino approached the referee to complain about certain calls, which in turn prompted Rayados‘ staff to retaliate. “Both [Messi and Martino] were out of line,” Monterrey assistant coach Nico Sanchez said in a leaked voice note. “Something that if we had done, they would’ve sent us to hell.”
A source explained to ESPN that Messi, who sat out the first game with a hamstring injury, angrily approached the Monterrey locker room. Consequently, Monterrey filed a complaint to Concacaf, with Miami fined “an undisclosed amount for lack of security in their stadium.”
The feud sparked a rivalry stronger than anyone could’ve expected. Ahead of Tuesday’s arrival, local television stations tracked the Inter Miami team plane, showing footage of the flight midair during the morning news. Reporters covered various exits of Monterrey’s General Mariano Escobedo international airport in the hope of getting the perfect shot of Messi’s arrival. Sections of Diego Rivera Avenue, which leads up to the team’s Quinta Real hotel, were closed off completely to accommodate security, with traffic redirected and bus schedules impacted. The entrance of the hotel was difficult to reach: security demanded proof of a hotel reservation just to enter the walkway into the lobby.
Even the national guard found themselves stationed outside the hotel for precaution as over 150 fans lined up behind the rails across the street, standing under the sun on a 97-degree day.
