During the opening game of the FIFA Club World Cup between Inter Miami and Al Ahly, a brief moment involving Lionel Messi and YouTuber iShowSpeed caught fans' attention online.
As Messi entered Hard Rock Stadium, he greeted former football legends like Pepe. Standing nearby was iShowSpeed, who is a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi walked past him without saying anything or making eye contact. iShowSpeed was visibly at a loss for words upon catching a glimpse of Messi, as his stunned expression was clear in video footage.
The clip quickly went viral on social media, with many people saying Messi deliberately ignored him. Some saw it as a sign of the long-running fan rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo supporters. Others felt Messi was simply focused on the match and didn’t want distractions.
The match itself ended in a 0–0 draw. Messi came close to scoring with a free-kick that hit the crossbar, and Al Ahly missed a penalty in the first half. While there were no goals in the game, Messi’s quiet walk past iShowSpeed became one of the biggest talking points of the night.
