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Lionel Messi Swaps Football Boots For F1 Cockpit Seat

F1, Inter Miami, Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He built his legend at Barcelona, won eight Ballon d’Or awards, had a short but high-profile chapter at Paris Saint-Germain, and completed his career’s biggest story by winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.

Now at Inter Miami, he remains one of the most recognisable athletes in the world.

The business side changed just as quickly. Inter Miami’s revenue has reportedly grown from around $56 million before Messi’s arrival to roughly $200 million.

The fan interest rose just as sharply. Before Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami averaged a little over 12,000 fans at home matches; after his arrival, that figure pushed above 20,000, forcing the club into a bigger era.

Chase Stadium, their temporary home, grew from around 18,000 seats to about 21,500 before the club moved into the 26,700-seat Nu Stadium in 2026.

Messi has become one of Miami’s defining sporting figures, someone whose presence can turn almost any public appearance into a global talking point.

This attention usually follows Messi in football scenarios.

During his visist to the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, it led him into a Formula 1 car, creating one of the most unusual moments of the weekend.

Messi arrived in style, wearing a full Louis Vuitton look, including LV Cyclone sunglasses, a technical overshirt, a cotton percale T-shirt, matching technical bermuda shorts and white LV Trainer sneakers.

The standout piece was his Rolex Daytona “Rainbow,” a rose-gold watch set with colourful sapphires.

Messi’s visit began as a family walk through the paddock. Antonela Roccuzzo and their three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, were with him as they made their way to the Mercedes garage.

There, the children met George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, took photos and collected autographs, before the attention shifted to Messi and the car itself.

Soon followed the moment that travelled everywhere: Messi sitting inside Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes Formula 1 car.

Messi looked relaxed, smiling and clearly enjoying the experience with his family.

The moment gained more attention after the race. Antonelli converted pole position into victory at the Miami Grand Prix, claimed his third straight F1 win and extended his championship lead. Messi later congratulated him in the Mercedes hospitality area.

Fans quickly built a story around it. Messi sat in Antonelli’s car before the win, and the “Messi effect” jokes spread online. Social media pages also claimed F1’s Messi post received more engagement than its race-winner post and became one of the championship’s most-liked posts on X. Messi’s fame was competing with and overshadowing the race itself.

Messi’s visit also had a strong Argentine connection. He met Franco Colapinto, one of Argentina’s rising names in motorsport. Colapinto had already met Messi and Rodrigo De Paul at Inter Miami’s training facility earlier in the week. A moment described as a dream come true for the young driver. He had also previously gifted Messi a signed racing helmet, which made their meeting feel more personal than a simple paddock photo.

Messi did not need to be playing football to turn heads. He arrived with his family, toured the Mercedes garage, sat in Antonelli’s car and met key figures around the paddock.

The reaction showed his current influence in Miami. Even outside football, Messi remains someone who can turn a simple appearance into a major sporting talking point.

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