Miami Fans Swarm Lionel Messi Outside Adidas Store

A wild scene unfolded outside of an adidas store in Miami as fans swarm Lionel Messi.

Just as temperates continue to soar to new levels, so does the hype in South Florida surrounding Lionel Messi. Since Messi arrived in the United States, soccer fandom has hit a fever pitch.

Not since The Beatles graced The Ed Sullivan Show has an international superstar(s) had this kind of impact on American pop culture. The soccer legend has already exceeded the lofty expectations placed upon him when he signed with Inter Miami CF and provided an economic boon to the area.

Perhaps no brand has benefited more from Messi's move to South Florida than adidas. The German company has engaged in a full-court marketing blitz for the face of its soccer division. On Friday afternoon, a viral video showed a wild scene unfolding outside an adidas store.

Thanks to the social media post above, we can see that hundreds of fans waited outside an adidas store in record-high temperatures to catch a glimpse of Messi. As the camera panned, we saw the full scale of the gathering. 

In just a few short steps from the store to his car waiting outside, fans were able to push security to its breaking point and get dangerously close to the soccer icon. Unfazed by the excitement, Messi maintained a smile through the whole ordeal.

Yesterday's events were a stark departure from Messi's well-documented but low-key trip to the grocery store during his first week in the United States. Messi-mania is only getting started and is guaranteed to only get wilder from here. Give us your thoughts on Messi's partnership with adidas at @FanNationKicks, and keep following us for all your footwear news.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.