Whether it was facilitated by their partnerships with Adidas or just a friendly meetup, the paths of Lionel Messi and Patrick Mahomes have crossed on many occasions. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner even made the trip to New Orleans this past February to cheer the Kansas City Chiefs as they attempted to complete their historic Super Bowl three-peat.
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Even though Messi is certainly one of the most recognizable names in the sports world, the hosts of Fox Sports Radio’s Covino and Rich Show believe that Mahomes is still the more popular persona in the United States.
Given the mixed relationship that Americans have with soccer, Steve Covino suggested that the U.S. populace has yet to fully embrace the sport that is often heralded as ‘the beautiful game’.
“I’m going, Mahomes. It’s America’s game. There’s nothing bigger than American football in America. Worldwide, there’s no comparison whatsoever,” said Covino, while his co-host, Rich Davis, couldn’t help but agree.
However, according to Davis, when it comes to younger demographics, there could be some room for optimism with regard to the popularity of soccer in the U.S. Nevertheless, the question of which star American children would rather see proved to be an interesting thought experiment for him.
“If you ask 100 middle school and high school kids, ‘Hey kids, who do you want to come to the school’? Would they say Mahomes or Messi? Wondered Davis.
“I think it’s an interesting question because my first thought was, globally, Messi, what a big star… I thought, here in the states, Mahomes, but maybe not… I feel like the younger generation puts soccer in that category [with football],” he added.
However, Covino asserted his take by pointing out that the numbers don’t lie. Even though the NFL saw a slight two-percent dip in ratings this year, the viewing habits of Americans still predominantly favor gridiron football. In the end, the television ratings help settle the argument.
“There’s way more Americans watching American football than soccer here in this country. Ratings prove it. There’s just no doubt, there’s no denying that,” said Covino.
Just based on that, and the more and more it becomes an international game… He has the rest of the world, Messi does. There’s no denying, he is a mammoth outside of America… But I think Mahomes edges him out here,” he added.
Then again, Mahomes and Messi are more concerned with the success of their teams than they are with being celebrated by the masses. Their respective star power continues, not because of selfishness and individual trophies, but because of their selflessness and willingness to put the needs of their clubs ahead of themselves.
And, considering that the two of them have won a FIFA World Cup and a pair of Lombardi trophies between them since 2022, it’s fair to say that they both harbor a more-than-healthy fan base. A following that will last for generations to come.
