Maximiliano Bagnasco knows what the people want
Ever since Argentina won the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the Argentine artist has been painting Messi murals from Buenos Aires to Albania "because people ask for them." Bagnasco, a professional painter since 1998, specializes in detailed and photorealistic portraits, including Bob Marley, Diego Maradona, and LeBron James. Bagnasco mentioned that he was in Albania working on a painting when Messi announced he would join Inter. He received a call from Gustavo Miculitzki of Block Capital Group to come to Miami as soon as possible and paint the massive mural in Wynwood.
The mural has captured the attention of countless football fans, including the football star himself, David Beckham. Bagnasco took the football star and Inter Miami co-owner on his crane to get a close-up view of the mural.
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"I am happy to leave a Messi mural, but also to leave a big mural in Wynwood, which is what I wanted to do for a long time," said Bagnasco.
Lionel Messi mural located near the intersection of Northwest 2nd Avenue and 23rd Street, Miami, Florida.
Arlex Campos, a Venezuelan artist and tattooist, was the first to paint a Messi mural with the Inter jersey
Campos, who has called Miami home for the past eight years, said he was overwhelmed by the support and attention the mural has received since he painted it about a month ago. It has been written about in Japanese, Arabic, and Italian, he said. Hopefully, now that Messi is in Miami, he will take a picture with the mural, Campos added.
A view of a Lionel Messi mural located near 148 Northwest 28th Street
"It's a revolution for the league to have a player of this caliber playing for Inter," said Campos. "It's crazy for the city."
Lionel Messi mural located near Veza Sur Brewing Co.
This mural, near Veza Sur Brewing Co. in Wynwood, is 100% fan-made.
It was painted by members of Vice City 1896, the official supporters' group of Inter Miami, said Chris Moramarco, co-founder, and artist of the group. The group organized painting sessions every night of the week leading up to Messi's birthday for fans to participate.
Messi's arrival in Miami marks a shift for both Inter and Major League Soccer as a whole, said Moramarco. The group aims to create a fan atmosphere that emulates the football stadium ambiance in Latin America. Vice City 1896 felt that the best way to welcome Messi was with art, which has become synonymous with Miami: a mural.
"Taking it to the streets is part of our culture," said Moramarco. "It's part of who we are."
Lionel Messi mural located at the Argentine restaurant Fiorito.
Since 2018, years before Messi won the World Cup for Argentina, Fiorito had a Messi mural outside its door.
The restaurant, located at 5555 NE Second Ave., first put up a Messi mural in 2018, which was then repainted in 2020 by artist Claudio Picasso, said Maximiliano Alvarez, the restaurant owner, and longtime Messi fan. The restaurant received a lot of criticism initially, he recalled. Angry Argentina fans, upset about not winning a World Cup, said there should be a Maradona mural instead.
"We wanted to represent and make sure people knew we would support Messi no matter what," Alvarez said. "Of course, now he won the Copa America, the Finalissima Cup, and then the World Cup, and everyone is making murals and everything. But we had it long before that."
Alvarez, who hopes Messi will come to visit Fiorito, said he has followed Messi's entire career and admires who he is as both an athlete and a person. If Alvarez could tell Messi one thing, he would simply say, "Thank you".
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