TAMPA, Fla. — Officially, it was a soccer friendly. A random, meaningless exhibition game between two teams with neither roots nor rationale for spending a Friday night in Tampa Bay.

And yet, standing above the tunnel leading from the locker room to the field in Section 118, it felt more like a religious experience. A pilgrimage in pink.

There were parents gripping children who were leaning over the railing. Teenage girls decked from head to toe in Inter Miami’s distinctive pink colors taking selfies from every possible vantage point. Cops, troopers, security guards trying to keep the aisleways clear. Everyone playing their role to fulfill the rare opportunity to see a star capable of transcending both sports and borders.

If he is not the greatest soccer player who ever lived, Lionel Messi is at least in the conversation. If he is not the most famous athlete on the planet, he could give Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Tom Brady and LeBron James a run for their money.

It’s been a little less than two years since Messi arrived in Miami from his native Argentina after nearly 20 seasons with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and Major League Soccer will never be the same. Attendance is up, jerseys are selling and a league considered a poorer relation in soccer circles can now be viewed as a potential landing spot for players internationally.

“I love Tom Brady. I’m a huge Tom Brady fan. Huge Michael Jordan fan. They do not compare globally to what Messi is,” said former Buccaneers Pro Bowl kicker Martin Gramatica, who was born in Argentina and has followed Messi’s entire career.

“There’s a quote I saw where someone says (Cristiano) Ronaldo is the best in the world, but that Messi is from another galaxy. He’s that good. I’ve watched soccer my whole life, I grew up playing soccer, and I’ve never seen anybody do what he can do with a ball at his feet at that velocity. It’s incredible. Just inhuman what he can do.”

At 37, Messi is no longer the player he was in his prime, but that’s only a minor distraction. He is a draw unlike anyone else in the sport, and Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas paid accordingly to bring him to North America. Although Messi’s salary is in the $20 million range, his entire compensation package, including a part-ownership in the team, reportedly exceeds $150 million for a 2 1/2-year contract.

Which explains why Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins began plotting for an Inter Miami exhibition game from the time Messi arrived in Miami.

Tickets were not cheap, considering it was a friendly match in a neutral stadium. Most of the lower-level, sideline tickets had a face value in the $150 range before prices began to drop in the days before the game. The announced attendance of 42,017 exceeded the previous Raymond James Stadium record for a soccer crowd and was similar to the 45,262 for Miami’s first preseason game in Las Vegas.

“We had ticket purchasers from all 50 states and 30 countries, the furthest being Australia,” Higgins said. “And all of that is great, but you can’t put a price tag on the opportunity for kids in our community to have a chance to see the greatest of all time with their own eyes. He puts us on a global stage, he gives us a strong infusion financially, but the intangibles for the next generation are even stronger.”

The game itself was almost incidental. Orlando City took an early 1-0 lead before Miami tied it a few minutes later. Orlando went back up 2-1 in the second half and held off Miami for much of the final 30 minutes, including a Messi header saved by goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Miami eventually tied it 2-2 on a rebound goal by Fafa Picault in the final 69 seconds.

But the scoreboard is not why people came. This was more event than competition.

This was Elvis on the pitch. It was Brando in cleats. It was a chance to say you saw Babe Ruth or Johnny Unitas or Wayne Gretzky in person.

A final word on Messi’s global reach?

When the Eagles beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 on Sunday, the NFL immediately sent out a post on X — formerly Twitter — that was viewed by 1.2 million people around the world.

Earlier that day, the NFL had another post with a video of Messi arriving at the Superdome with his young sons to watch the game.

That post had 15.4 million views.

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