The Argentine national team celebrates Leo Messi's 37th birthday this Monday with the captain at the peak of his popularity, now a global icon and social phenomenon in the United States.

It's not unusual for Messi to have his teammates from the national team be the first to congratulate him, as he has celebrated ten other birthdays while with the Albiceleste. On one occasion, he even did so on the field during the 2006 World Cup in Leipzig, playing six minutes after replacing Javier Saviola in the victory over Mexico (2-1).

In total, he has celebrated his birthday at 4 World Cups (Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, and Russia 2018) and 7 Copa America tournaments (Venezuela 2007, Argentina 2011, Chile 2015, United States 2016, Brazil 2019, Brazil 2021, and United States 2024).

This is also the second time he finds himself in New Jersey, on the eve of playing against Chile at the MetLife Stadium. The previous time, eight years ago, was a bitter memory because two days later he lost the Copa America final and announced he was leaving the national team.

Impact in the United States

Now things are different. Messi is undisputed in his country after winning the World Cup, and he has become a global icon, with a tremendous impact in the United States since joining Inter Miami in 2023. On his debut day, Apple TV gained 110,000 new "MLS Season Pass" subscribers in just 24 hours.

The pink jersey with the number 10 on the back, which the league itself reported as the best-selling in MLS in 2024, caused Adidas to run out of stock after his signing announcement, struggling to produce enough Pantone 1895C fabric in such a short time.

His image sells beer and promotes Will Smith's latest movie. Associating with Messi guarantees widespread exposure.

"Messi has achieved what once seemed impossible: turning the United States into a soccer country," argued Time magazine in naming him the 2023 Athlete of the Year.

This popularity was reaffirmed last February by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS), experts in social research, who named the Inter player the Most Popular Athlete in the United States, ahead of stars like Tom Brady and LeBron James.

In a country that calls soccer "soccer," Messi is already The Goat (The Greatest Of All the Times). Stickers with a goat and the number 10 and his face have become popular.

Madness at the Copa America

Therefore, Messi's presence with Argentina in the Copa America has sparked excitement, not only among Lionel Scaloni's team supporters but also among rival teams.

In Atlanta, where the opening match was held, nearly 71,000 tickets for Mercedes-Benz Stadium were sold out. Among the sea of Albiceleste fans flooding the stadium surroundings, it was impossible to find a jersey without the number 10. In fact, street vendors had no other jerseys for sale.

Messi celebrates his 37th birthday from the peak of his career. As a World Cup champion, Ballon d'Or winner, and The Best awardee, he seeks his second Copa America title while contemplating how long to extend his career.