The Argentinian soccer star, who led his country to win the 2022 World Cup, has been spotted running errands with his family at a local Publix ahead of his official debut as an Inter Miami player.
- Jul 15, 2023
AceShowbiz - Lionel Messi is getting a taste of American life, just a few days after his move to the United States. The Argentinian soccer star has been spotted running errands at a local grocery store, just two days after he touched down in Florida to begin his new career in the Major League Soccer.
On Thursday, July 13, the World Cup winner and his family were photographed visiting Publix to nab some groceries. In pictures circulating online, he was joined by his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.
The 36-year-old looked relaxed in a black T-shirt and white shorts teamed with a pair of transparent slippers. He was seen pushing a cart filled with a lot of cereal. His wife, meanwhile, rocked a black halter neck dress with black slippers.
While he did pose for selfies with a number of fans at the store, most seemed to let him go about his business without bothering him. It was in contrast stark to his usual norm in Argentina, where he couldn't go out without being swarmed by fans.
Messie indeed moved to Miami to live a more peaceful life. He announced in June that he decided to come to the U.S. to join Inter Miami in order to "to live football in another way and to enjoy the day to day more." He further explained, "Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to play well and do things well as always. But in a calmer way."
After pictures of Messi's grocery run went viral, a fan reacted on Twitter, "dude moved to miami just to go grocery shopping like a normal person." A curious fan asked, "What publix did this happen at?" Another user joked, "So where will he be tomorrow night, a nearby Walmart? I would camp outside that store every week because he will run out of milk for sure."
Some others, meanwhile, asked people to give the athlete some privacy that he needs. "Why can't people let the dude shop in peace? We're a strange species," a person pondered. Another pleaded, "PLEASE DONT OUT HIM LIKE THIS!! PLEASE!!"
Messi arrived in South Florida on Tuesday. While he already met with his future teammates and underwent training on Thursday, he has not been officially revealed as an Inter Miami player. He is expected to be formally introduced by the team on Sunday.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, Messi, who ended his contract with Paris Saint-Germain after two years, was spotted at an Italian restaurant in Miami Beach, Cafe Prima Pasta. He also had a traffic scare when his car ran a red light in his new hometown.
In a video circulating online, the Argentine's car went into a busy intersection while being escorted by Fort Lauderdale cops. Luckily, the car managed to avoid a serious crash with multiple cars that were driving through it. The vehicle turned left as police continued to follow it.
It's not clear whether or not he was driving the vehicle, but he was known to be inside of it. The car in question is said to be a newer model of the Audi Q8. These vehicles start $73,000 and go up $123,000 at the top of the range. Audi is a big sponsor of Major League Soccer.
