Patrick Mahomes, the popular quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, experienced the overwhelming popularity of international soccer superstar Lionel Messi as he attended a match at Arrowhead Stadium, where he and his wife are minority owners of Sporting KC. Despite Mahomes' own widespread recognition, Messi's global appeal was evident as he attracted a massive crowd and social media following, highlighting the different levels of popularity in the sports world.
Soccer legend Lionel Messi scored a goal and assisted another in Inter Miami's 3-2 victory over Sporting KC at Arrowhead Stadium, in front of a reported crowd of 72,610 – the most-attended soccer match in Missouri's history. Despite Sporting KC's Erik Thommy's two goals, it was Messi's dynamic performance and teammate Diego Gomez's goal and assist that propelled Inter Miami to its first outright win since March 16, reclaiming the lead in the MLS Eastern Conference. Messi's presence drew attention, and his interaction with fans and a young boy running onto the field added to the spectacle.
Sporting Kansas City will play Inter Miami CF at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on April 13, with tickets starting at $65 and going on sale on January 16. The match is expected to break the all-time MLS attendance record in Kansas City and will be exclusively available on MLS Season Pass. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home to the reigning Super Bowl champions, will also host a CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 match and is one of 11 American stadiums selected for FIFA World Cup 2026. Inter Miami CF, led by co-owner David Beckham, features star players Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.
Sporting Kansas City will face Houston Dynamo FC in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals. Houston advanced after a penalty shootout victory over Real Salt Lake, while Sporting KC upset St. Louis CITY SC in the previous round. The winner of the single-elimination match will move on to the Western Conference Final. Sporting KC has a history of playoff matchups with Houston, with the Dynamo winning four out of the previous five encounters. Both teams have performed well in recent months, accumulating the most points in the Western Conference since the regular season resumed.
St. Louis City SC made several adjustments to their offense, resulting in a 4-0 win against Sporting KC. Indiana Vassilev was moved forward and scored two goals, while Nicholas Gioacchini was recalibrated to play as a low-target striker. The team's creativity and goal-scoring options were on full display, even without injured leading scorer Klauss. The win was a confidence builder for the team, and Vassilev's performance gave coach Bradley Carnell something to think about for future games.
St. Louis City SC made several offensive adjustments, including moving Indiana Vassilev forward and recalibrating Nicholas Gioacchini, resulting in a 4-0 win against Sporting KC. Vassilev scored two goals and set up the first tally of the night, while Gioacchini scored one goal and had a chance at a couple of others. The win proved that there are plenty of goal-scoring options and creative weapons on the team even when two big contributors are absent.
The Seattle Sounders will face off against Sporting KC in a Major League Soccer (MLS) game on Sunday. The Sounders are just a point off the Supporters’ Shield lead and are 4-0-1 in their first five home games. Sporting KC comes into the game in a pretty bad place, having already tied the MLS record for fewest points through 10 games. The Sounders will be missing João Paulo (suspension) and Cristian Roldan (concussion protocol). The game is available to stream for free and Sounders radio will be available as an alternate feed.
Sporting KC's head coach Peter Vermes is not in danger of losing his job despite the team's poor start to the season, according to KC Soccer Journal. The team's biggest offensive problem has been their inability to get quality shots inside the box, but the return of key starters Johnny Russell, Alan Pulido, and Gadi Kinda could change that. Sporting KC's new starting CB Dany Rosero will be tasked with containing Seattle Sounders' Jordan Morris, while Graham Zusi may hang back to avoid getting beat by Léo Chú.
The Seattle Sounders ended their 10-game road winless run with a 4-1 victory over Sporting KC, thanks to a historic four-goal performance from Jordan Morris, who was assisted by Léo Chú on three of the goals. The win was the Sounders' first on the road since August 2022. Sporting KC took an early lead but were reduced to 10 men after Ben Sweat was shown a second yellow card.
The Seattle Sounders will face Sporting KC in an MLS match, with the Sounders missing six players due to international duty. Sporting KC may still be without their three Designated Players due to injury, but Alan Pulido and Johnny Russell have been upgraded to questionable. Sporting KC has yet to win this season, while the Sounders have not won on the road since July 4.
