Lionel Messi has taken the United States by storm, scoring five goals in his first three matches with Inter Miami as the MLS club takes aim at the Leagues Cup crown.
He scored another pair against Orlando City as Inter Miami advanced to the Round of 16 thanks to a 3-1 victory.
Messi’s first goal in the Round of 32 match saw him hit a recognizable goal celebration, and it got fans talking, especially after a celebration along the same lines in the previous match against Atlanta. He continued the trend a week later, and a pattern has begun to truly form.
With the GOAT now on full-time duty with his new MLS club, here’s what we know about his new goal celebration trend.
MORE: Lionel Messi scores again as Inter Miami rout Charlotte FC 4-0 in Leagues Cup quarterfinal
Messi going through the Marvel Universe 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IxYgm9Dgp3
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 12, 2023
Lionel Messi Avengers goal celebrations
In Lionel Messi’s first start for Inter Miami on July 25, he ran the show as he scored two and assisted a third as they trounced Atlanta United 4-1 to win their Leagues Cup group.
Messi celebrated one of his goals with a motion that had fans a bit confused.
As the Argentine stuck his arm out towards the sideline and clenched his hand, some thought it was a Darth Vader motion. Instead, Messi’s family clarified that he was imitating Avengers hero Thor.
Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, confirms that his new Inter Miami celebration is a Thor reference ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/YeV64sthly
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 28, 2023
Then, against Orlando City a week later in the Round of 32, Messi struck for another two goals. After the first caused some confusion, he did a far more recognizable motion, bringing his arms to his chest in a cross to imitate Black Panther‘s Wakanda Forever signal, another Avengers call-back.
Messi hit the Wakanda Forever celebration 🙅♂️ pic.twitter.com/ReJzWjrOV9
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 3, 2023
The trend continued as Messi scored Inter Miami’s final goal of a 4-0 romp over Charlotte FC in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. He celebrated by channeling Spiderman, putting his hands in the motion that the superhero would use to produce webs from his wrists.
Messi or Spider-Man? 🕷️🕸️
Messi was all smiles after scoring a goal for the fifth consecutive game. pic.twitter.com/38jATL3kmh
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 12, 2023
Why does Lionel Messi do Marvel superhero goal celebrations?
While Major Leagues Soccer has a partnership with Marvel, and many have speculated that Lionel Messi’s celebrations are part of that deal, the man himself claims the genesis of the idea was something far simpler — his kids.
Speaking to the Miami Herald, Messi said that he comes up with and practices the celebrations with his three sons Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro.
“My sons have not started school yet, so every night we watch Marvel superhero movies. They came up with the idea and asked that whenever I have a game and score a goal, I do a Marvel superhero celebration. That’s how it started, and we continued that ritual. Each time we watched a new movie, we would practice a goal celebration.”
Messi says he only does the celebrations “when the kids are here” for home games in Ft. Lauderdale, “so we can share those moments.”
“When I see them in the stands, that is when I do them.”
MLS partnership with Avengers explained
It’s highly possible that Lionel Messi is attempting to call attention to a commercial partnership that Major League Soccer recently inked.
MLS, alongside apparel company Adidas, confirmed a partnership with Marvel back in late June which features three different releases.
The league first unveiled an Avengers-inspired ball that was utilized in the MLS All-Star game against Arsenal in mid-July. There were also Captain America-themed apparel, as well as apparel with other Avengers characters to follow.
NEW adidas Marvel MLS All-Star Game Training Ballhttps://t.co/JiKaMBtA8D pic.twitter.com/s4AALBucQB
— JustFreshKicks (@JustFreshKicks) June 1, 2023
“Major League Soccer and adidas’ Marvel collaboration captures the unique spirit, confident attitude, and diverse environment that embodies the sport of soccer,” said MLS in a release upon the announcement of the collaboration.
So with that in mind, could Messi be possibly fulfilling contractual obligations with his goal celebrations? Or is it that his kids are big fans and it’s really a family affair?
It would be unusual for any player to have their celebrations dictated by any commercial contract, but Messi’s arrival in the United States has been anything but run-of-the-mill.
With Messi receiving financial windfalls from both Apple and Adidas as part of his deal with Inter Miami, it would make sense that he could push MLS partnerships in some of his most visible moments. His recent visit to supermarket chain Publix had some thinking along the same lines.
