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Passions

June 8, 2026

 

Just for kicks: Lionel Messi surprises soccer fans

The soccer icon met supporters whose love of the game is helping create opportunity far beyond the pitch.

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In a surprise jersey swap, football great Lionel Messi, left, greets Wyatt Marshall, whose nonprofit is helping bring free soccer to underserved kids in Boston. (Photo credit: Julio Carlos)

Maggie Sieger

Contributor

Wyatt Marshall was a tad confused when he stepped through a door. He was expecting to meet soccer broadcaster Melissa Ortiz but instead found what he thought was a wax figure of soccer legend Lionel Messi. Then the “statue” reached out to shake his hand, and Marshall was overwhelmed as he realized it was Messi — the real one — waiting for him.

“It didn’t feel real. I can’t even describe it,” Marshall said, still giddy an hour later. “Leo Messi hugged me! I’ve wanted to meet him since I was 8 years old. I used to write letters to him.”

Messi recently surprised Marshall and nine others with his first-ever jersey swaps with fans. It was a gesture to thank them for their efforts in their communities, in some cases overcoming huge challenges, to spread the love of the game. Marshall, for example, founded a non-profit that offers soccer for free to underserved youth in his hometown of Boston.

Mastercard brought the fans to Miami under the guise of filming a documentary with Ortiz detailing their work. The culmination was a jersey swap with Messi, a longtime Mastercard ambassador. He spent a few minutes with each person, asking about their work and praising their commitment to the people they serve. He then presented each of the fans with a signed, limited-edition jersey in exchange for one of theirs, which they had been asked to bring for what they thought would be a traditional swap with Ortiz. These Guillermo Andrade-designed jerseys each represent 10 major moments in Messi’s career. Through June 21, Mastercard cardholders will have a chance to win one of these La Colección Diez de Diez jerseys, too.*

 

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The jersey swap is perhaps the most well-known ritual between players across many major sports. Players exchange their team colors at the end of a match as a sign of mutual respect and appreciation for each other and the game itself. The symbolism of this act is why it was chosen for this surprise event – it’s not only to get a signed jersey from Messi himself; it’s a way for him to personally praise what each of these fans were doing to help others.

The Miami event was just the latest example of Mastercard’s 30-year commitment to soccer and its partnership with Messi since 2018 to bring fans once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For example, in 2023, Messi surprised a group of kids who were all named Leo in his honor — and gave them each a jersey with the name “Leo” on the back.

“I just want to bring the game to as many people as possible,” Marshall said. “Unfortunately, in order to play in America, you tend to have to spend a lot of money, and that's not doable for a majority of people.”

Messi agreed, telling Marshall his work was important: “The kids are everything.”

 

The surprised fans included Marshall, back row, second from left, Sean Dunlop, back row, right, Eyoel Mammo, middle row, left, and Samantha Snow, middle row, center. (Photo credit: Julio Carlos)

 

Samantha Snow, who runs a soccer association for special needs children on her family farm in Loganville, Georgia, gasped and let fly with a (very mild) expletive when she saw Messi.

“I was just so shocked,” she said. “I started crying. He asked about our awesome kids. He wasn’t just there for the exchange. He took time to learn about our program.”

Snow’s 5-year-old son is another diehard Messi fan who, before she even left for Miami, asked if his mom was going to visit the star’s house. She said sharing a hug with Messi was even better. “My son likes how he plays soccer, but for me it’s even more about all the stuff he does off the field,” said the former college soccer player. “He's just a good human being.”

Sean Doherty grew up cheering for Manchester United alongside his Irish father and today coaches his younger daughter’s soccer team. He moved as a child from the U.S. to Australia and back, and the friends he still has on both continents are all from soccer. But Doherty was unprepared for his reaction to meeting the legendary player.

“I’m a middle-aged man, I don’t get starstruck,” he said. “But I was shaking the entire time. Five minutes ago, I called my wife, and I couldn't get the words out without crying. It blew my mind. And the best part is, I forgot my wife was picking up my daughter early from school today. She was on the phone, too. Lost her mind.”

In addition to his coaching duties, Doherty volunteers with Holy Cross Learning Center in New Hampshire, helping immigrants adjust to life in the United States. That, of course, includes soccer for players both young and old. Doherty is a small business executive, so the jersey he was given references Messi’s signature "El Amague" move, a quick directional shift that reflects the agility and adaptability small businesses all need.

 

“Soccer, football, it connects people all over the world. Whatever differences you have, you shelve them for a while, which is so powerful.”

Sean Doherty

 

“Soccer, football, it connects people all over the world,” Doherty said. “That's been the thing that's always drawn me to it. It unites people. Whatever differences you have, you shelve them for a while, which is so powerful.”

Eyoel Mammo is the child of Ethiopian immigrants. He grew up in Venice Beach in Los Angeles, where a friend’s father anonymously paid his fees so he could play soccer. He now works with the Venice Beach Football Club, founded to help underprivileged children play and to create a safe community for those in need.

Instead of a simple chat, Mammo requested that Messi play a little soccer with him. He choreographed the entire thing, asking Messi to pass the ball to him and Ortiz to stand in as goalie. He begged the former professional women’s player, “Don’t try too hard! Please let it go in.”

Mammo crowed when it was over, “I got an assist from the greatest player of all time!”

He later talked about how soccer brings the world together. “Soccer is a global, cultural thing,” he said. “I went to Ethiopia and I took a soccer ball for my cousins. I forgot a pump. But they didn’t care. I was there for five weeks, and we were kicking around a flat ball the whole time, having a great time. That’s soccer.”

 

 

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Void in U.S. territories, including Guam, PR and where prohibited. Open to Mastercard cardholders prior to 6/8/26 who are permanent legal residents of 50 U.S./D.C. & legal age of majority.  Ends 6/21/26. For official rules & complete details, visit Priceless.com/Messi.