‘Lionel Messi is like watching Michael Jordan’: New Inter Miami hero leaves FC Dallas owner star struck for Leagues Cup clash
- The Dallas owner is preparing for Sunday night’s clash with Inter Miami
- Before then, he compared Miami’s latest start to American sports royalty
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Just hours before his team take on Lionel Messi in the Leagues Cup, FC Dallas owner Dan Hunt had nothing but praise for the biggest ever MLS transfer.
In just a matter of games, Messi has seemingly transformed Inter Miami’s fortunes – simply through his success in this Leagues Cup competition, which will see the Herons reach the quarter-finals with a win on Sunday night.
Speaking to Bloomberg (via LeaguesCup.com), Hunt compared Messi – arguably the greatest footballer ever – to the man many consider to be the greatest to ever touch a basketball court.
Hunt said he couldn’t miss this match for the world – because for him watching ‘La Puglia’ on the pitch is: ‘It’s like watching Michael Jordan.’
He added: “You’re looking at one of the two greatest players of all time in that experience. So yes, this is a great moment for FC Dallas.”
FC Dallas co-owner Dan Hunt had a strong comparison to Lionel Messi ahead of the Leagues Cup
Hunt said getting the chance to see Messi in person is ‘like watching Michael Jordan’
Dan, the son of legendary sportsman Lamar Hunt Sr., is trying to convince FIFA to hand over hosting duties for the 2026 World Cup finals to AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area
Hunt is qualified to make that comparison, as his family was one of the founders of the team Jordan is most associated with: the Chicago Bulls.
Dan and his siblings Clark, Sharron and Lamar Hunt Jr. in addition to FC Dallas, are also co-owners of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
They are all descended from Lamar Hunt Sr. – one of the most influential sports managers in American history. He founded the American Football League, which would eventually merge with the NFL.
Lamar Sr. was also a founding member of Major League Soccer after years of advocating for the growth of the sport in the US. The US Open Cup renamed itself in his honor, adopting his name for both the competition and the trophy itself.
The Hunt siblings carry on their father’s legacy in the sport – winning the Open Cup in 2016 and reaching the finals of that competition and the MLS Cup since the death of Lamar Sr. in 2006.
Today, the Hunt family is trying to lure the 2026 World Cup Finals to Dallas – which was to be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Hunt spoke about the bid in the same Bloomberg interview – citing a major international airport and the potential to host the game in a next-generation stadium.
While all 16 host cities in the United States are in the game, Dallas’ biggest contest for final hosting duties is believed to be against MetLife Stadium in the New York Area and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.