Fans flock for Messi mania in downtown Atlanta

ATLANTA — Soccer fans from around the world flocked to downtown Atlanta to catch a glimpse of global superstar Lionel Messi.

He and his Argentina team take on Canada in the first match of the Copa America tournament at Mercedes-Benz stadium.

“We’re staying at the same hotel, so I’m hoping later on to see him,” Martha Malaver, who flew in from Orlando with her family, told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims.

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She and hordes of other fans gathered outside The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, where the team is staying.

Brenda Masi flew from Kentucky to see the game. “I sort of fell in love with him just watching his whole story, he seems like an awesome, awesome guy,” she said.

Copa America is the top men’s soccer tournament featuring nations in South America.

This year the tournament has guest competitors including the U.S. and Canada teams.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts another match in the tournament on June 27, when the United States takes on Panama.

Gianna Bienati and her family drove from Dallas to cheer on Argentina. “I’m a soccer player,” she said. “I’ve played soccer for 15 years of my life, so Messi’s my favorite player in the world. So I had to come. It could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Even fans sporting the Canadian colors are feeling the Massi mania. “I have never seen Messi play live yet,” Azhar from Toronto said.

He didn’t want to give his last name.

That said, his allegiance is to Team Canada. “If we score a goal, if we tie a game, or we lost, we just happy, man, to be here – to play against quality soccer teams, football teams.”

The game begins at 8 p.m.

More than 70,000 tickets have been sold, making the match officially sold out.

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