Messi mania overtakes Atlanta on eve of Argentina vs. Canada Copa America opening game

The first sign Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team are in town for the Copa America opening game against Canada Thursday night? Barricades and police officers along Peachtree Street protecting the back entrance of the Westin Hotel, and a giant throng of fans in Messi jerseys surrounding an empty charter bus, waiting for a chance to get a glimpse of their beloved hero.

The scheduled training session was four hours away, but fans were camped out, desperate to see the team board the bus.

Edy and Ana Alonzo, natives of Guatemala, drove from North Augusta, South Carolina on Tuesday with their sons, Hop, 10, and Marco Tulio, 5, who has been obsessed with Messi from the time he could walk. They have been sitting on folding chairs for four hours, hoping to see Messi. They waited three hours on Monday but had no luck, so they returned for another try.

How long will they stay? “Until we see him, because I think my son loves Messi more than he loves me,” Alonzo joked.

Their eldest daughter spent $1,800 to buy Edy and Marco Tulio a pair of tickets to the soldout game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (8 p.m., FS1).

The fervor for Inter Miami star Messi and his Argentina teammates is on full display as Copa America gets underway. Just before nightfall Wednesday, Peachtree Street was a sea of sky blue and white, as thousands of fans took to the streets, waving banners and singing in Spanish.

Yerba mate has replaced Coca-Cola as the drink of choice in downtown Atlanta this week, and Argentina’s iconic sky blue and white striped jerseys far outnumber Atlanta United’s black, red and gold striped jerseys.

Messi and his World Cup champion Argentina teammates begin defense of their Copa America title and tens of thousands of diehard fans have flocked here from Buenos Aires, Miami, and all over the United States to see what will likely be Messi’s last time playing in the prestigious tournament.

“Hands down, Argentina has the most fans traveling for Copa America,” said Antonio Paz, a partner at Absolut Sport, the official travel partner for the tournament. “Eighty percent of the packages we sold have been for fans coming from Argentina. They are traveling to all three Argentina group games in Atlanta, Miami and New York/New Jersey. Many are also buying tickets for the quarterfinals, semifinal and the final at Hard Rock Stadium.”

Norberto Torres is among the Argentinean tourists. The 37-year-old from Buenos Aires flew to Atlanta via Miami on Thursday with his father and nephews. From Atlanta they will go to New York for Argentina’s second group stage game against Chile and then on to Miami for the June 29 game against Peru at Hard Rock Stadium.

Torres has racked up a lot of frequent flier miles following La Albiceleste (sky blue and white). He attended previous Copa America finals in Chile and the United States, and World Cups in South Africa, Brazil and Qatar.

More than 40,000 Argentineans traveled 8,200 miles to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, despite inflation approaching 100 percent. There were reports of fans who sold their cars and emptied their savings accounts to make the trip. It is common to see fans with giant tattoos of Messi.

“The passion began before Messi, with Diego Maradona,” Torres said. “When you’re a little kid in Argentina and people ask you what you want to be, you say, `World Champion.’ Our love of futbol is in our blood. The Copa America is the tournament we have won more than any other, so it means a lot to our fans.”

Tickets for Argentina’s games are the hottest sellers of the 16-team tournament, being played at 14 stadiums across the United States.

According to StubHub, Copa America has an average ticket price of $283 this year making it 98 percent more in-demand than the tournament was back in 2016 the last time the U.S. was host. Argentina is the most in-demand team with an average ticket price of $462, and the matchup between Argentina and Peru at Hard Rock Stadium is the hottest matchup of Copa America with an average ticket price of $519, and the best deal being $318.

Several hundred Argentine fans who traveled from South Florida planned to meet up with Argentine supporter groups from other U.S. cities. Among their meeting points, a pep rally in the West End of the city co-hosted by the Argentine consulate in Atlanta.

Chris Moramarco, co-founder of Inter Miami supporter group Vice City, was one of the organizers of the South Florida trip to Atlanta. He is from Rosario, Argentina, the same hometown as Messi and Inter Miami coach Tata Martino, and his soccer roots run deep. His uncle, Federico Vairo Moramarco, played for the Argentine national team in the 1957 Copa America and the 1958 World Cup.

Moramarco has an impressive collection of Argentine soccer memorabilia, including a piece of the goal net from the Qatar final game.

“You can’t really explain what the team means to people from our country,” he said. “No matter what tickets cost, Argentineans find a way to be there.”

Inter Miami radio announcer Fernando Fiore, a native of Argentina, said fans of the team are more passionate than ever because of the Copa and World Cup wins, and the possibility that Messi is nearing the end of his career.

“He has fewer days ahead than behind, so people want to enjoy and be part of this long swan song, this last Messi dance,” Fiore said.

Juan Jose Montes, a Colombia native who lives in Columbus, Georgia, was among the fans hanging around Argentina’s hotel on Wednesday, with his son, Jeronimo. They wore Colombia jerseys but carried Messi shirts and posed for photos in front of a Messi banner outside the Westin.

“To watch Messi, the greatest player, with a team like Argentina, is brilliant to see those of us who love futbol,” Montes said. “Even though we are Colombian and rooting for our team to win, we also appreciate Messi and the Argentine style of game. And, it may be the last time he plays Copa America, so this is a moment you can’t miss.”