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Dozens of fans gathered outside the Origin Hotel on Kansas City's Berkley Riverfront Monday, hoping to catch a glimpse of Argentina's World Cup squad — including the sport's biggest star, Lionel Messi.
Messi's face was plastered on the outside of the Origin Hotel, but for die-hard fans, that wasn't enough.
Axel Marquez, who came with his brother, was among those who waited outside.
He arrived around 10 a.m. Monday.
"We got to see Messi through the window, which was insane," Marquez said.
Just one day after Argentina's team arrived in Kansas City on May 31, fans gathered outside the hotel where they stayed Monday.
Nearly everyone had the same favorite player: Lionel Messi.
“To hear that the national World Cup champions are staying here in Kansas City, that’s insane for any soccer fan,” Marquez said. “So we had to come out. This is awesome.”
Jonathan Melgarejo, who was born in Argentina, brought his daughter — born in Kansas in October 2025 — to share the moment.
His son brought a Lego Messi that he constructed.
“It’s a dream for us,” Messi said. “So exciting.”
For Hay Dah, the excitement was so strong that he came straight from work.
When he snapped a photo of Messi, the moment hit hard.
"My heart dropped six meters down," Dah said.
Marquez described a similar feeling.
"Even just seeing him from the window, even 100 meters away, my heart started to beat a little faster," Marquez said.
For many, the trip was a family affair.
"We're all big soccer fans. I may be the biggest soccer fan, but we've got some future really big soccer fans in the family," said David Holstein, who came with his family.
Melgarejo seconded that sentiment when he talked about his daughter.
“She was born here in Kansas last year in October," he said. "She supports Argentina and Messi too.”
After hours of braving the heat, some fans finally got the chance to wish their team good luck as the players headed off to practice at 5:00 p.m. at Compass Minerals National Performance Center.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department escorted the team to the facility for practice.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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