Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl star and soccer influencer: Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback's football journey - from recruiting Cristiano Ronaldo and meeting Lionel Messi to NWSL ownership

Since investing in the Current, the Mahomes' have created a powerhouse ownership group in the city, and even helped with the grand opening of CPKC Park in 2024; a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium that plays home to the NWSL side.

The club had an incredible 2024 NWSL season, with star forward Temwa Chawinga claiming the Golden Boot, setting a league record with 20 goals while netting against every single other team. Mahomes attended multiple games alongside his wife - and the duo have even pledged to fans that they will work on getting pop star Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, to visit a game soon, too.

"We might get her here at some point, she's a busy woman and Travis is a busy guy," Patrick told ESPN 'SportsCenter' last March. "So, maybe during the season or something like that, we'll get her out to a Kansas City Current game. She loves supporting Kansas City just like we do and I'm sure Brittany can nudge her and get her here pretty easily."

Brittany added: "That's definitely on me, that's definitely on me. I'll work on it, I will work on it."

In late 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo's future was the talk of the town. One of the greatest players to ever grace the game, Ronaldo had announced his intention to leave Manchester United, and the race was on to secure the signature of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Of course, Ronaldo opted for Saudi side Al-Nassr, but before that deal was done, there was a play made from within MLS in an attempt to lure him to the United States. However, it wasn't a blockbuster franchise like the LA Galaxy or Inter Miami who made their move; rather Sporting Kansas City, who had a plan to lure the Portuguese to Missouri which included co-owner Mahomes.

Per a report from the KC Star, Sporting KC dubbed their plan the 'Triple Bank Shot'. It began with the club holding a call with the forward's representatives during which they pitched the league, club, city, and themselves in detail. Ronaldo's team were receptive, and thus requested a second and third meeting, which were followed by messages back and forth between the two parties for over a month during the fall and winter of 2022.

However, after a poor World Cup showing that saw him dropped from Portugal starting XI, Ronaldo's agency reached out and informed KC that he was in fact bound for the Middle East, not the US.

So where did Mahomes fit into this plan? Well, he was the superstar example Sporting pitched to Ronaldo, explaining how the Chiefs QB could live his life like a normal individual in Kansas City, without the flashing lights and constant scrutiny, which was something Ronaldo was looking for.

Upon being asked if he would be part of the process to lure the ex-Real Madrid man to MLS, Mahomes reportedly replied: "Let's do it, what do you need from me?", so keen was he to bring another global superstar to the area.

Of course, nothing came from the approach, and the deal never came close enough to involve the star quarterback. However, it did show the lengths he was willing to go to as a co-owner in using his influence for the team's benefit.

"Hey good luck man, have fun out there." It was the viral interaction that had social media in a frenzy, as Mahomes - the NFL's best player - met the world's best footballer, Lionel Messi.

On April 13, 2024, Sporting KC hosted Messi's Inter Miami at Arrowhead Stadium; home of the Chiefs. A sold-out crowd of 70,000 people watched as the Argentine magician provided a goal and an assist to lift the visitors to a 3-2 match.

Ahead of the match, prior to teams taking the pitch for their warm-up, Mahomes met Messi in the stadium's underground tunnels, and in a nervous moment, hilariously told the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner to have fun on the field.

"I was so nervous," Mahomes told the ImPaulsive show. "I was hoping it would happen naturally, and I'm just walking down the hall and they're walking in. It's a tight hallway, I'm just like, 'he's going to warm-up, what are you supposed to say? Have fun out there!' And there's a language barrier.

"He had a goal and an assist, I felt like he had a great time," he added, laughingly. "He had fun!"

In recent years, we've seen a lot more star athletes across the U.S.' top sports leagues share their fandom for the world's game. The New York Knicks Josh Hart is a massive Chelsea fan, while MLB star Dansby Swanson (husband of USWNT striker, Mallory) has become an NWSL and USWNT super-fan. Others, like Chad Ochocinco and Steve Nash, are known fans, while celebrities galore follow the game, too.

Mahomes' support of the game certainly runs deep. He's long supported Brittany with her footballing ventures, with posts on X dating back to 2012 sharing his excitement at her performances. In 2014, meanwhile, he posted on the social media platform that he was watching the World Cup, and became an instant fan of Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul after his penalty shootout heroics against Costa Rica in the quarter-finals.

In 2024 alone, Mahomes was pictured alongside former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp when the pair met at an adidas event, while he also claimed that he became a "lifetime fan of the tournament" after watching Euro 2024 during a trip across the Atlantic.

Mahomes is one of the most influential athletes in the the U.S., and perhaps the world, but he's also just another soccer fan.