Vladimir Polonsky traveled to Kansas City to attend the fan fest ahead of the Argentina vs. Algeria match. At the last moment, he changed his mind and bought a ticket to the game itself, eager to fully immerse himself in the football festival atmosphere and, as it turned out, witness Lionel Messi’s masterclass firsthand.
I can’t say I’ve been in the best spirits lately. Alongside unsettling geopolitical news, some family troubles have weighed on me. Before this World Cup, I decided to seize the moment to pull myself out of that emotional rut. After all, football exists for moments like this—especially the World Cup.
So, I planned a trip to Kansas City to experience the fan fest before the Argentina-Algeria game, to soak up the festive vibe. I thought I’d hang out in the fan zone with its attractions, photo ops, and souvenirs, and watch the match there. But just three days before departure, I impulsively bought a ticket to the actual game. Don’t ask how much it cost—my wife knows.
The match atmosphere began early—right at Denver airport. Half the passengers waiting to board the flight to Kansas City wore Argentina jerseys. There were plenty of “hidden” fans like me too. For the entire hour and a half flight, half the plane sang football chants and Argentine cheers, even joined by the chief steward who joked over the mic, “Are there any Cristiano Ronaldo fans here?” But that was just the beginning.
Kansas City airport is smaller than Denver’s but modern and convenient. Fans were welcomed everywhere by large and small posters. It felt almost like Germany 20 years ago.
I reached my hotel about a 20-minute walk from the fan fest. The fan fest itself was packed with tens of thousands of people. Entry was free—despite earlier rumors that Infantino wanted to charge for it—but you had to register online in advance. The queue to get in took about 20 minutes, and inside, every attraction, shop, and stall had lines. At one point, while waiting for souvenirs, I asked someone to hold my place so I could grab some food, then returned. That’s where my extensive Soviet experience standing in queues unexpectedly came in handy.
The attractions were fun, but the crowds and heat—well over 30°C—wore me out. So I mostly watched the France vs. Senegal match on the many giant screens scattered throughout the fan fest.
After resting at the hotel, I took an Uber to the stadium. My driver was listening to the Norway vs. Iraq match on the radio. We had a typical small-town American exchange:
Me: “It’s really hard to follow a football match on the radio.”
Driver: “Yeah. By the way, how many halves are there in soccer?”
Me: “Two. But if you’re not a fan, why are you listening?”
Driver: “I’ve been driving people like you all morning, so I found this broadcast for you.”
That question wasn’t random. Given the “water break” or rather the advertising pause in the middle of halves, you could say Infantino has effectively changed the rules—now football has four quarters instead of two halves.
As expected, Uber couldn’t drop me close to the stadium, so I walked another half hour. With every step, the number of Argentina shirts around me grew until it reached massive proportions. Wherever I looked, it was Messi—sometimes Maradona.
True to habit, I arrived early at the stadium, which is the home ground of the elite American football team Kansas City Chiefs, and its size reflects that. The only reminder of that was a huge banner listing the years the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. But everyone gathered that evening barely cared about that. It became clear when the Argentina team came out to warm up. The stadium was half full, but even half was enough to make it roar. Naturally, all eyes were on HIM—Lionel Messi. He knew it too, greeting the crowd first with the team, then on his own.
Once the match kicked off, it turned out I wasn’t the only one who had an impulse decision that day—Messi did too. It was an alien-level masterclass. Besides his hat-trick (more on that later), to my surprise, he worked hard defensively throughout the first half. In the second half, apparently instructed to conserve energy, he eased off, leaving others to cover.
Words can’t capture the atmosphere in the Argentine section during his many impactful plays, especially after his goals. It was like a pressure release valve blowing off at a Moscow region oil refinery (excuse the analogy—I couldn’t resist). I recorded several videos because words alone don’t do it justice. By the way, the “Argentine section” was practically the entire stadium. Even the “Algerian section” had half the fans in Argentina colors. I’m not an Argentina supporter, but it’s impossible to be indifferent amid that sea of passion—especially with such a maestro on display.
Regarding Messi and his hat-trick: this match was historic on many levels. It was Messi’s 200th appearance for Argentina and his 27th World Cup match—a record. It was also the oldest hat-trick in World Cup history (Messi turns 39 next week). Most importantly, Leo Messi matched Miroslav Klose’s record for the most World Cup goals, with 16 each. There’s no doubt Messi will surpass Klose, but it’s also clear that Kylian Mbappé will overtake them both—he’s only 27, already has 14 goals, and has at least two more World Cups ahead. Twelve years ago, when Klose broke Ronaldo’s record, I wrote that the player who would break Klose’s record hadn’t been born yet. That was a very premature statement on my part.
