Lionel Messi’s appearance at a forum for business and politics strangely made sense – The Athletic
MIAMI — The roar of the crowd was unlike anything that the America Business Forum (ABF) had heard on Wednesday. Lionel Messi’s star power and the reception he received from attendees was louder and more frenzied than when the U.S. President Donald Trump had walked onto the stage a few hours earlier.
“Messi! Messi! Messi!” chants filled the Kaseya Arena, home to the NBA’s Miami Heat, when Messi appeared on stage behind smoke and a small army of Jedi-like warriors with blue light sabers. Men in suits cheered like boys. Women screamed his name as Messi greeted his legion of Miami-based fans.
“First of all, good afternoon and thank you for this warm welcome,” Messi said.
The futuristic stage and dramatic soundtrack were used for each one of the event’s A-list guests, who included Trump, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, Nobel Peace Prize recipient María Corina Machado and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, among other international dignitaries. Tickets to the event ranged from $100 to $10,000, with the latter section sold out, according to the ABF’s website.
تقديم الأسطورة ميسي في منتدى الأعمال الأمريكي 😨🐐 pic.twitter.com/y6HZ2DN3JU
— Messi World (@M10GOAT) November 5, 2025
ABF is an annual event that brings together many of the world’s top business leaders. Politics is also a central theme, with a particular focus on capitalist and right-wing conventions. Why was Messi there?
The 2025 edition of the event was the first since 2016 that would feature professional athletes. Messi joined tennis stars Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal as high-profile guests. Nadal, Williams and Messi are all exceptional athletes and successful investors and entrepreneurs. But Messi still stands alone in this arena.
ABF founder Ignacio Gonzalez could barely utter words of gratitude as he stood on stage with Messi. “This was our World Cup,” Gonzalez said to Messi on Wednesday. “You can’t imagine the happiness we felt when Jorge confirmed that you’d be here,” he added as he stood alongside Miami mayor Francis Suarez and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas. Suarez also presented Messi with a ceremonial key to the city.
Lionel Messi received the key to the city of Miami. (Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
“And after I arrived (in Miami), it was spectacular for me,” Messi said. “First, living in this incredible city. And then, the affection from all the people from the very first day. The first day was impressive, and well, today is just another example of the reception with all these people. So I am very grateful.”
Messi’s superstar status as a global icon and sporting champion added caché to the ABF event in Miami. Next to President Trump, Messi was the biggest name, although large sections of the near-capacity crowd left the arena after Trump’s hour-long mid-afternoon speech. Men in ties and red Make America Great Again hats made their way to the exit. But there was a large contingent of Argentines in attendance.
Some wore black Make Argentina Great Again caps, a symbol of Argentina’s budding relationship with the Trump administration. Argentina’s president Javier Milei, whose government recently accepted a $40 billion bailout package from Trump, was a scheduled speaker on Day 2. There would not be an opportunity for Milei to mingle with Messi in the $10,000 green room.
“I’ve never had the chance to speak with him,” Milei said of Messi in 2024. “I’d like to, it must be interesting. I consider him one of the most important Argentines in the world.” Milei campaigned as a Libertarian and far-right populist, although his political distinction can be debated. A year ago, he joked that Messi’s left foot is “the only good left.” “Everything else is expendable.”
However, a photo opportunity in Miami between the two was averted, as was any possibility of Milei using Messi to earn political points. Despite his partnership with the Saudi government, Messi has never openly affiliated himself with a political party or ideology.
Still, the Saudis have, of late, increased their hold on international football and global sports. They financially backed the 2025 Club World Cup in the U.S. and have significant stakes across a number of sports. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 men’s World Cup.
Messi’s appearance at ABF offered a glimpse into what his life may be like after he retires from professional football. Messi has a sports drink (Mas+), a hotel chain in Spain and he’s an investor with Buenos Aires-based restaurant chain El Club de la Milanesa, which opened a location in Miami in 2024.
On Wednesday, Messi admitted that his storied career as a footballer will eventually come to an end. He recently signed a contract extension with Inter Miami through 2028, but his future as a full-time co-owner at the club and potential venture capitalist is on the horizon.
President Donald Trump gave a speech before Lionel Messi’s appearance in Miami. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)
“I had a very, very long sports career. I still do, and I’ve always had people — trusted people — around me who took care of a little bit of (my businesses),” Messi said. “But it’s also true that recently, it has led me to become much more interested in everything that was being done, and what can be done. Unfortunately, football also has an expiration date. At some point, it ends.”
What Messi said next earned him one of his loudest rounds of applause.
“The business side of things is something that interests me, that I like, and that I would like to learn, to keep learning a lot, because the truth is I don’t know anything about it,” he said, slightly embarrassed. “I’m just starting out in this.”
It was a mortal moment for Messi in a setting and a business arena where he is not considered the greatest of all time.
