If St. Louis is an accurate gauge, Lionel Messi and his jersey No. 10 will not be welcome everywhere after the Argentine superstar joins Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.
Before St. Louis City SC played Inter Miami on Saturday, its fans were warned Messi jerseys would be banned in the “Supporter Section” at the team’s home stadium, CITYPARK.
Any opposing gear is not allowed in that section, but the memo included this special mention, “For the July 15 match, this includes all Messi jerseys, shirts and gear – Miami, Argentina, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Newell’s Old Boys and Grandoli.”
Grandoli was Messi’s childhood club.
Overkill? Maybe, but not as insulting as the French bar that turned a Messi jersey into a doormat after Argentina beat France in the World Cup Final.
Perhaps Inter Miami will fare better against St. Louis as they did without him Saturday, losing 3-0.
Messi, 36, will make his debut Friday when Inter Miami plays Cruz Azul of Mexico in an inter-continental Leagues Cup match at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
How bad are the boos for Messi?
The wondrous soccer player has been booed even by fans of the Paris Saint-Germain team for which he played. They expressed their displeasure by whistling at him after Paris Saint-Germain lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League last year, and they jeered after other defeats.
So it goes for the player who has won the coveted Ballon d’Or award a record seven times.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lionel Messi jersey ban by St. Louis SC could set standard
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