The Big Lead

Patrick Mahomes wants to impress the 'GOAT' but it's not Tom Brady

By Joe Lago

Feb 3, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks to the media during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Feb 3, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks to the media during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
facebooktwitter

Patrick Mahomes can't wait to show off his skills in front of the Greatest of All Time when his Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Mahomes wasn't talking about Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion. He revealed how exciting it would be to put on a show for Lionel Messi, who's regarded as the greatest soccer player ever.

RELATED: Will Andy Reid retire if Chiefs win a third straight Super Bowl?

When informed that Messi is expected to attend Sunday's game at the Superdome, Mahomes shared what it would mean to have the former Barcelona and current Inter Miami superstar watch him play.

"He's the GOAT of his profession," Mahomes said Tuesday during the Chiefs' media availability. "To have someone like that at the game, it will be awesome. I'll be able to showcase who I am and the talent I have."

Mahomes got to watch one of Messi's games in Major League Soccer when Inter Miami faced Sporting Kansas City last April. In front 72,610 fans at the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, Messi scored a rocket of a goal and recorded an assist in a 3-2 victory.

"You see the greatness — the greatness that he displays every single day," Mahomes said of Messi. "He's someone else I can look up to and try to get to his level some day."

The 29-year-old Mahomes has already accomplished a lot in his eight NFL seasons, having won two league MVP awards and earned three Super Bowl MVP honors in three championship victories.

The 37-year-old Messi has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards as the best soccer player on the planet and added the lone achievement missing from his resume in 2022 when he led Argentina to a World Cup title.

Messi wants to go to Sunday's big game, but USA Today reported that he might not be able to make the trip to New Orleans due to a "tight turnaround" from Inter Miami's preseason game on Saturday night in Honduras.

MORE TOP STORIES from The Big Lead
NBA: Aging Warriors 'desperate’ to acquire another star
CFB/NFL: There’s yet another Manning on the way
NFL/WWE: Kofi Kngston trolls reeling Browns fans
NFL/SPORTS MEDIA: Brady calls Goodell ‘frequently’ about announcer-owner concerns