‘Holy sh*t!’ - USMNT star Brandon Vazquez explains how it feels to line up against Lionel Messi & Inter Miami as ‘FIFA’ console dreams become reality

For Brandon Vazquez, the realisation that he was no longer just a spectator came during the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals. While playing for Monterrey, the current Austin FC striker found himself 30 yards away from a tactical partnership he had only ever seen on a screen.

He told ESPN: "Before the game, it was kind of like, 'Oh crap, I'm actually going to be playing these guys.' There were these moments on the field that when I would see Messi on the ball or Messi playing a through ball to [Luis] Suarez, I was like: 'Holy sh*t, I am playing against these guys.' It was almost like an out-of-body experience. Like I grew up playing with these guys on [the video game] FIFA, you know, I grew up watching these guys celebrating their goals and all of sudden I'm like watching Suárez going [one-on-one] versus my keeper, and I'm 30 yards away."

For younger players like Obed Vargas, who joined Atletico Madrid earlier this year, the experience was even more personal. Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Vargas grew up emulating Sergio Busquets. When his Seattle Sounders faced Miami in the 2025 Leagues Cup, the teenage midfielder found himself in a heated confrontation with the very players he idolised.

After a brilliant performance that saw Seattle take the lead, Vargas was confronted by Messi and his teammates. Rather than backing down or getting angry, Vargas laughed. "I think if it had been someone else, maybe I would have gotten hooked [on the confrontation], but because it's Messi, I laughed because the truth is what was going through my head is: 'You are Messi, you are the best of all time in the world, you're getting frustrated by me?'

"It made me laugh, honestly. And I tried not to get hooked, but for me it was never a moment where I was going to fight with him."

The presence of the world champions brings a unique pressure, especially for Argentine players like Pedro de la Vega. The Sounders forward admitted that facing Messi and Rodrigo De Paul brought "extra pressure" due to their status back home.

However, not everyone has managed to balance the competition with the fandom. MLS players have frequently faced criticism for "pandering" - most notably Teenage Hadebe, who swapped jerseys with Messi after his FC Cincinnati side was thrashed 4-0 in the 2025 Eastern Conference semi-finals. Similarly, NYCFC’s Maxi Moralez admitted to arranging a jersey swap a week in advance, despite later getting into a viral, lip-read argument with Messi during the 2025 playoffs.

Whether it’s swapping shirts or swapping insults, the consensus among MLS's rising stars is clear: playing against the Inter Miami veterans is a litmus test for competitive drive. For Vazquez and Vargas, the "FIFA dreams" served as the ultimate motivation to prove they belonged on the same pitch as the greatest of all time. As Vazquez put it, the transition from watching a goal celebration to trying to prevent one is where a "nobody" becomes a real competitor.