Lionel Messi is set to earn his 200th international cap for Argentina when the defending champions open the World Cup against Algeria at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday night, an event drawing fans like Tapash Chakraborty, owner of an engineering design company, to local commercial establishments and Michelle Lemmon to travel 160 miles with her four children. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stated that the milestone has global attention, noting, “Not only the Argentinian population but everybody — the whole planet — wants to see him play.” This global demand for the spectacle translates into significant economic activity for host cities and the broader sports industry.
The Commodification of Sport
Scaloni emphasized the widespread desire to see Messi on the pitch, stating, “Everybody wants to see him on the pitch, because he has an effect not only on Argentina fans but supporters all over the world.” This widespread appeal positions athletes like Messi as global commodities, central to the extraction of value from mass audiences. The World Cup itself, a recurring global event, serves as a mechanism for capital to generate profit through media rights, sponsorships, and tourism.
Tapash Chakraborty, the 57-year-old owner of an engineering design company, was observed in a Kansas City bar about 24 hours before the match, hoping to catch a glimpse of an Argentina player at a meet-and-greet. Chakraborty’s presence as a member of the owning class participating in the commercialized fanfare highlights how even those who benefit from the existing economic order are drawn into the consumption of sports spectacle. He described Messi as “the god of football,” reflecting the idolization that fuels the industry.
Michelle Lemmon, a fan, drove 160 miles, or 257.50 kilometers, with her four children from Kirksville, Missouri, to Union Station in Kansas City on Monday to celebrate her 42nd birthday. Her journey and expenditure represent the costs borne by the working class to engage with the commodified entertainment system. Lemmon expressed excitement, stating, “Honored that they chose Kansas City as their home base. To have the World Cup champions here, you know, from 2022 is amazing,” underscoring the perceived value of hosting such events for local capital.
The Business of Global Football
The selection of Kansas City as Argentina’s "home base" for the World Cup champions from four years ago in Qatar signifies the economic benefits accrued by local businesses and property owners from hosting international sporting events. This influx of visitors and their spending contributes to local capital accumulation, often at the expense of public resources or through tax incentives provided to large venues.
The historical trajectory of football’s expansion also reveals its capitalist underpinnings. Pele, the Brazilian star, was instrumental in "growing the game in the U.S. during his time with the New York Cosmos." This "growth" was fundamentally about market expansion, creating new avenues for investment, advertising, and profit within the burgeoning American sports industry. The New York Cosmos represented an early example of professional sports as a vehicle for capital growth.
Argentina is attempting to defend the title it won four years ago in Qatar, where it defeated France in a shootout. Nicolas Otamendi, Messi’s longtime national teammate, reflected on the previous victory, stating, “What happened back in Qatar was just amazing. The whole country united. We have that engraved in our minds, and it’s just injected us with the strength to keep trying.” This narrative of national unity and collective effort, while inspiring, often serves to mask the underlying economic realities of professional sports. Otamendi described Messi as a “simple man that just focuses on training” and also as “a competitive animal,” further contributing to the mythos of individual achievement that drives the commercial appeal.
Messi had been dealing with a minor hamstring issue before the World Cup, but he looked comfortable in training and came on as a second-half substitute in Argentina’s final tuneup against Iceland at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, scoring moments later on a penalty kick and playing 20 minutes without problems. Scaloni confirmed Messi’s continued importance, saying, “He’s always been there, and he’s essential for us. He’s going to remain that way.” The physical condition and performance of star players are critical assets within this high-stakes economic system. Only twice before has a nation been a repeat winner of the World Cup: Italy in the 1930s and Brazil in 1962, when Brazil beat Czechoslovakia in the final in Chile despite an injury to Pele in the group stage. France nearly became the third repeat winner, but Argentina denied that four years ago in Qatar. These historical narratives and rivalries further intensify the spectacle, driving viewership and, consequently, revenue for the global sports industry.