Global Superstar Lionel Messi Visits Arrowhead

Lionel Messi, the consensus best player in the world, recently won his record eighth Ballon d'Or and is the only two-time recipient of the Golden Ball as the top performer at a FIFA World Cup, earning the honor again in 2022 after captaining Argentina to the title with seven goals.

With so much interest and excitement about Mr. Messi making his first trip to the Midwest, Sporting KC decided to move its match to Arrowhead Stadium, which has a seating capacity four times larger than their home stadium. The move was intended to make the price of tickets more affordable for the average fan, as Sporting KC's president explained, “We want as many people from Kansas City as possible to go to this game”. 

Arrowhead Stadium is the home of two-time defending Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs. It was also previously the home stadium for Sporting KC during their first twelve years in the league (1996-2007). This weekend’s match is considered a test run for when the stadium hosts the Copa America Group Stage match in July between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Uruguay, and two years from now when it hosts 2026 FIFA World Cup matches (one of eleven U.S. stadiums selected to do so). 

The pitch at Arrowhead Stadium was overseeded in late February with DLF’s Champion Fine mix (80% perennial ryegrass and 20% Chewings fescue) and 4turf tetraploid perennial ryegrasses, and the grounds crew has been managing the grow-in during spring freezes with a heated sand base, grow lights and tarps. 

Sporting Kansas City is owned by local business and community leaders. The club is a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and two-time MLS Cup champion. Children’s Mercy Park, a soccer-specific stadium, has been their home stadium since 2011. For three years, the pitch has been overseeded in the fall with DLF turf-type annual ryegrass for winter and early spring play. The most recent sowing was a 50/50 blend of Candidame and Quickdraw.