Argentina's forward Lionel Messi winks in a fan event at the Javits Center in New York, Friday (local time), two days ahead of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina. AFP-Yonhap
NEW YORK — The lineup of sports legends simultaneously on the stage at Fanatics Fest on Friday night was almost absurd. There was Tom Brady, the greatest Super Bowl champion of all time. There was Novak Djokovic, the winner of more men's Grand Slam tennis tournaments than anyone else. There was Kevin Durant, the only four-time Olympic gold medalist in men's basketball history.
And before they left, they all got a selfie with Lionel Messi.
Let that be the latest proof of Messi's power: Even the biggest stars in the sports universe clearly enjoy a chance to be around the best soccer player of all-time. They'll all be watching Sunday — along with probably 1.5 billion other people worldwide — when Messi and Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final.
“We will give it our all,” Messi said.
