Jordan-Hare stadium is no stranger to legendary athletes. Auburn Tigers like Bo Jackson, Cam Newton, and Pat Sullivan have called the field their home. Heisman Winners like Herschel Walker, Tim Tebow, and Bryce Young have come through as opponents. But Jordan-Hare had never seen anybody like Lionel Messi. 

The Alabama rain was out in full force just hours before the highly coveted friendly between Argentina and Iceland. Roads were flooding, pools of water stood on the field, and fans dressed in Argentina jerseys were crowded under every covered space in Auburn. But as the storm broke and the grounds crew set to work, the stadium opened and the field was dry with enough time to play the game. 

There was no pretense as to why everyone had arrived, this was a chance to see the GOAT in person. While there were a few fans of Iceland, the reigning World Cup champions were the home team. And what a home team they were. The stadium was covered from top to bottom in Argentina’s blue and white, with only a few clusters of Tiger loyal wearing their orange and blue (as well as one brave individual and crimson and houndstooth.) 

88,043 fans packed the stands, completely selling out Jordan-Hare Stadium, and giving it an environment that Auburn football hasn’t elicited in years. These fans were singing, dancing, and cheering so loud it could be heard across campus. There were fans that had travelled across the world and fans who had never left Alabama in their lives side by side. Future Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown stood on the sideline next to all-time Auburn point scorer Daniel Carlson. The crowd made this the largest ever soccer event in the state of Alabama, surpassing the previous record held by the Argentina vs USA match from the 1996 Olympics that was held in Birmingham. 

International and local cultures were blended as Auburn’s gameday tradition of having their eagle mascot fly around the stadium preceded the national anthems of Iceland and Argentina. The excitement of the crowd for the entire lead up to the game matched any Auburn SEC game, just with a different shade of blue in the stands. 

The real surprise of the night came shortly after Messi checked in late in the second half. A penalty kick opportunity presented itself, and who was to take it but Messi himself? He lined up and drilled the ball into the goal, causing the stadium to erupt. The expectation of the night is that Messi may play a few minutes for the fans, and then check out to stay healthy. Instead, Messi gave every fan exactly what they wanted in what was the most exciting kick in the stadium since 2013. 

As the game wrapped up with a 3-0 Argentina win, there was not an upset fan in the stands. The singing and cheering continued as Messi left the field and well into the night. Auburn’s foray into international soccer was not only a huge success in terms of the game, but also in showing off Alabama on a global stage. In an era where the state has had many questions about professional sports and their success, seeing the reigning World Cup champions bring such a huge crowd and celebration is a sign of bright times to come.