Could Lionel Messi become the latest world soccer star to play in Jacksonville? Here's how
For Lionel Messi, the next destination looks like Florida.
The next question: Could he eventually take the field in Jacksonville? It's more realistic than First Coast soccer fans might think.
With Wednesday's reports that seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi is joining Major League Soccer club Inter Miami from French club Paris St. Germain, there's now a chance that Northeast Florida could end up on the World Cup champion's itinerary.
Jacksonville doesn't have an MLS team, so how could Messi end up playing a game here? It comes down to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the annual knockout competition open to teams at all levels of American soccer.
This season, the Jacksonville Armada U-23 team qualified for the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in four years, and eliminated Miami United in a first-round penalty shootout. That advanced the Armada to the second round, where they lost to the United Soccer League's Miami FC.
But if they had won that game, the Armada would have advanced to the third round in which MLS teams enter. This year, based on U.S. Soccer's regional bracketing system, their opponent would have been Inter Miami. If that happens next year, among the possible opponents would be Inter Miami again… and this time, with Messi.
The same pattern could bring a Messi matchup against the prospective JAXUSL club in the United Soccer League, provided that JAXUSL begins competition while Messi is still active with Miami. JAXUSL has previously targeted a 2025 start at a location still to be announced.
Even if Inter Miami did draw a U.S. Open Cup game in Jacksonville, there's no guarantee that Messi would take the field: MLS teams sometimes rest elite overseas players for early-round Open Cup matches.
Messi could become the biggest soccer giant to play in Jacksonville, but he wouldn't be the first. Here are 12 other soccer stars, some of them world-famous, who have played as a visitor in a club soccer match in Northeast Florida over the years. Note that this list excludes international games involving the U.S. national team, or any members of Jacksonville-based clubs.
Teofilo Cubillas
Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 1981-82
A three-time World Cup striker for Peru and the South American Player of the Year in 1972, Cubillas was a frequent First Coast visitor in the early 1980s when he lined up for the North American Soccer League's Fort Lauderdale Strikers in all-out battles against the Jacksonville Tea Men. Cubillas starred on a night of flying elbows and flaming tensions on June 27, 1981, assisting a goal and scoring in the tie-breaking shootout as the Strikers downed the Tea Men 2-1 at the Gator Bowl.
George Best
San Jose Earthquakes, 1981
July 11, 1981 was an active day for the 1968 European player of the year in Jacksonville: He scored a goal, set up another and got sent off after the final whistle when the San Jose Earthquakes played the Jacksonville Tea Men at the Gator Bowl. Eduardo Marasco scored the Tea Men's overtime game-winner for a 4-3 victory over the nine-man Earthquakes.
Giorgio Chinaglia
New York Cosmos, 1982
A 1974 World Cup striker for Italy, Chinaglia crossed the Atlantic in the 1970s to become the scoring king of the original NASL. Jacksonville saw him in action: On April 10, 1982, Chinaglia tallied his 200th career NASL goal off an assist from two-time World Cup midfielder Johan Neeskens of the Netherlands, leading the New York Cosmos past the Jacksonville Tea Men 3-2 at the Gator Bowl.
Marco Etcheverry
D.C. United, 1997
The Jacksonville Cyclones played their first-ever home game at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in an exhibition on March 21, 1997, and Etcheverry — then the star midfielder for inaugural Major League Soccer champion D.C. United — made sure the hosts didn't have a winning debut. Etcheverry, who played for Bolivia in the 1994 World Cup and won three MLS Cup titles with United, scored as the Cyclones went down 2-0.
Tony Cottee
Leicester City, 1998
A veteran striker who represented England's national team seven times, Cottee was playing for Leicester City when they came to Alltel Stadium to meet the A-League's Jacksonville Cyclones on May 26, 1998. Though Leicester was missing some of its top stars, like U.S. national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller, Cottee netted the tying goal as the Premiership club went on to beat the Cyclones 4-2.
Carlos Salcido
UANL Tigres, 2013
A versatile defender who played 123 games for Mexico's national team and appeared at three World Cups, Salcido produced one of his best highlights in Jacksonville. He blasted a 30-yard clinching goal for Tigres against Cruz Azul at EverBank Field in an exhibition match on July 3, 2013.
Moussa Dembele
Fulham, 2014
Not many players have scored hat tricks in professional soccer in Jacksonville, and even fewer have done it within weeks after turning 18. But Dembele achieved the feat on July 26, 2014, scoring all three goals for Fulham — the English club owned by the Jaguars' Shad Khan — in a match against D.C. United of MLS. The night, which included a Carrie Underwood concert, unveiled the record-breaking video boards at EverBank Field. Dembele went on to win league titles in Scotland and Spain, and currently plays for Olympique Lyon in his native France.
Paolo Guerrero
Corinthians, 2015
The captain and all-time leading scorer for Peru's national team, Guerrero made his Jacksonville visit in 2015 as a member of Brazilian club Corinthians for the Florida Cup, an exhibition tournament. He scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Germany's Bayer Leverkusen at EverBank Field on January 17, 2015.
Rodrigo Bentancur
Boca Juniors, 2015
Bentancur was still a teenager when he lined up for Boca Juniors of Argentina at EverBank Field for an exhibition match against the Jacksonville Armada on June 27, 2015. Since then, he's represented Uruguay in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and he now plays for Tottenham Hotspur in England.
Raul Gonzalez Blanco
New York Cosmos, 2015
The Spanish forward, who lined up in three World Cups for Spain and scored 228 goals for Real Madrid while winning three UEFA Champions League titles, lined up for the North American Soccer League's New York Cosmos against the Jacksonville Armada on July 18, 2015. But it was a different forward, Jacksonville's Tommy Krizanovic, who got the upper hand with a second-half game-winner at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Kaka
Orlando City, 2016
He came. He even scored. But it wasn't quite enough for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year and 2002 World Cup champion when he swooped into Jacksonville on Feb. 13, 2016 as part of Orlando City's roster for a preseason tune-up match against the Armada at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Kaka blasted an unstoppable free kick, but thanks to an even longer goal from Haitian defender Mechack Jerome, the Armada upset the MLS invaders 2-1.
Joe Cole
Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2016
A dynamic attacking midfielder who represented England in three World Cups and won three Premier League titles at Chelsea, Cole arrived at the Baseball Grounds with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in North American Soccer League action against the Jacksonville Armada on June 11, 2016. Cole's dribbling runs produced several highlights as the state rivals battled to a 1-1 tie.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Lionel Messi: 12 soccer stars to play in Jacksonville, Florida
