Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA

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Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#1 » by Lepramaniac » Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:14 pm

https://www.si.com/fannation/soccer/futbol/news/most-popular-athlete-in-usa-lionel-messi-replaces-michael-jordan

Whoa, never expected a soccer player to surpass MJ in popularity. It's also incredible that Jordan was still atop of the list despite retiring 20 years ago. How accurate is this list? I always assumed that either Lebron, Tom Brady or some other football player would be leading popularity rankings in America.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#2 » by KembaWalker » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:01 pm

12000 new soccer fans per day arriving in Texas adds up pretty quick

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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#3 » by iLLmatic860 » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:05 pm

Whatever makes europeons sleep better at night
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#4 » by UcanUwill » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:15 pm

So, how is he doing? I haven't heard a thing since his opening game goal, which I posted myself here, but it was like 7 months ago.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#5 » by FreeBird23 » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:18 pm

iLLmatic860 wrote:Whatever makes europeons sleep better at night


Why ? Messi is from Argentina
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#6 » by BloodNinja » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:24 pm

Lepramaniac wrote:https://www.si.com/fannation/soccer/futbol/news/most-popular-athlete-in-usa-lionel-messi-replaces-michael-jordan

Whoa, never expected a soccer player to surpass MJ in popularity. It's also incredible that Jordan was still atop of the list despite retiring 20 years ago. How accurate is this list? I always assumed that either Lebron, Tom Brady or some other football player would be leading popularity rankings in America.
Jordan makes sense when you consider he has his own brand unlike other players.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#7 » by Chokic » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:25 pm

FreeBird23 wrote:
iLLmatic860 wrote:Whatever makes europeons sleep better at night


Why ? Messi is from Argentina



Many Argentinians come from Europe. Mostly Germans Italians and Spaniards.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#8 » by JDR720 » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:26 pm

Lepramaniac wrote:https://www.si.com/fannation/soccer/futbol/news/most-popular-athlete-in-usa-lionel-messi-replaces-michael-jordan

Whoa, never expected a soccer player to surpass MJ in popularity. It's also incredible that Jordan was still atop of the list despite retiring 20 years ago. How accurate is this list? I always assumed that either Lebron, Tom Brady or some other football player would be leading popularity rankings in America.

Even though a lot of people in the US like to pretend that soccer doesn't even exist, the Mexican national team is among the most popular teams in the US and lots of other big national teams/club teams have big fanbases here too. Including Argentina.

Messi gets all of those fans + a lot of people that don't follow soccer know about him now because of the hype him coming to MLS caused and how much Apple has pushed it.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#9 » by UcanUwill » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:27 pm

Chokic wrote:
FreeBird23 wrote:
iLLmatic860 wrote:Whatever makes europeons sleep better at night


Why ? Messi is from Argentina



Many Argentinians come from Europe. Mostly Germans Italians and Spaniards.


Too bad we can't say the same about USA. :lol:
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#10 » by BHF » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:30 pm

iLLmatic860 wrote:Whatever makes europeons sleep better at night


I fully expect a person like this to say speak English this is America to a brit.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#11 » by Saints14 » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:36 pm

Not gonna like I’m a little triggered by this news
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#12 » by cgf » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:55 pm

KembaWalker wrote:12000 new soccer fans per day arriving in Texas adds up pretty quick


Yeah, Cheeto really did his best to f*** up your immigration system. Luckily for you he's an incompetent crook, so the damage was limited, but it's not like US migration was ever a smooth process. So even limited damage has devastating consequences.

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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#13 » by cgf » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:57 pm

BHF wrote:
iLLmatic860 wrote:Whatever makes europeons sleep better at night


I fully expect a person like this to say speak English this is America to a brit.


As a native German speaker, I'd settle for the brits learning to spell :lol:
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#14 » by dhsilv2 » Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:01 pm

I don't believe this for one second. While soccer certainly is growing in popularity in the states, I highly doubt even 15% of americans would know who Messi is and even less would know who he is if he were walking down the street. Now with that said...a lot of the more obvious sports stars in recent years have gotten themselves somewhat tied to politics which I guess could kill popularity so maybe that's a factor? But yeah I can't see him as a top 50 guy in terms of name recognition in the states.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#15 » by mastermixer » Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:03 pm

Image

From the article
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#16 » by iLLmatic860 » Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:03 pm

FreeBird23 wrote:
iLLmatic860 wrote:Whatever makes europeons sleep better at night


Why ? Messi is from Argentina

Tbh

I dont care about soccer
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#17 » by JDR720 » Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:09 pm

dhsilv2 wrote:I don't believe this for one second. While soccer certainly is growing in popularity in the states, I highly doubt even 15% of americans would know who Messi is and even less would know who he is if he were walking down the street. Now with that said...a lot of the more obvious sports stars in recent years have gotten themselves somewhat tied to politics which I guess could kill popularity so maybe that's a factor? But yeah I can't see him as a top 50 guy in terms of name recognition in the states.

I think this proves my earlier post. There are tons of soccer fans in the US, even if the mainstream sports media/fans don't think they exist. You even have celebrities going to Miami matches specifically because Messi is there. If Messi wasn't world famous, other world famous people certainty wouldn't care to go see him play.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#18 » by Handlez » Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:13 pm

Lol ya sure.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#19 » by UcanUwill » Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:14 pm

dhsilv2 wrote:I don't believe this for one second. While soccer certainly is growing in popularity in the states, I highly doubt even 15% of americans would know who Messi is and even less would know who he is if he were walking down the street. Now with that said...a lot of the more obvious sports stars in recent years have gotten themselves somewhat tied to politics which I guess could kill popularity so maybe that's a factor? But yeah I can't see him as a top 50 guy in terms of name recognition in the states.


I live in country where Soccer is also not that popular at all, it never really was alive since independence, but I do not believe your statement for a second. I understand that Americans wear foreign cultural ignorance as pride, rather than you know, a weakness. It shows in comments even here all the time, but yeah, people should know who Leo Messi, he has been biggest star in the world overall for more than 10 years, even if you not following it, you most likely know who he is. I understand that grandmas wouldn't, but you telling me people who actually uses internet and stuff do not know who Messi is? It is a comical statement.

Please be careful not to overgeneralize and bait other posters into a fight. Americans are not all the same person.
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Re: Lionel Messi Replaces Michael Jordan As Most Popular Athlete in USA 

Post#20 » by raleigh » Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:15 pm

dhsilv2 wrote:I don't believe this for one second.


Perhaps your experiences are not as representative as you think?

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