Is Messi the GOAT or better than Maradona? We asked fans in Dallas to find out!

[p][b]"[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Messi[/a] means everything to us. Absolutely everything. For Argentines, the equation is simple: our flag equals Messi,"[/b] one fan in the crowd described to us emotionally. "Every day we pray to him at home. The whole family," said another.[/p][p]In discussions outside the stadium, comparisons with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maradona-diego/2oVZGPyM/"]Maradona[/a] inevitably came up. The older generation claims Maradona had more of that legendary wildness and courage, but in their eyes, the modern demigod Messi has taken football to a whole new level.[/p][embed guid="3a437a97-05c2-4e8b-a17e-1c73eaeddf8b" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WJ9EThm8kU" social-type="youtube" /][p]The main question during our Dallas shoot, however, was aimed at the local audience. Has Messi managed, with his mission at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Inter Miami[/a] and his current campaign for the 2026 World Cup, to truly popularise football in the USA once and for all? Opinions differed dramatically...[/p][p][b]"The moment he arrived in Miami, everything changed. The world of football in the USA took on a whole new dimension. I myself only became a soccer fan because of him,"[/b] admitted one American.[/p][p]But there were also sceptical voices. "[b]America has too many of its own attractions. American football, basketball, baseball. This is just a temporary Messi-mania. As soon as the tournament ends and Messi leaves, football here will fade again,"[/b] a staunch Dallas local insisted.[/p][p]What Messi-mania is definitely good for, though, is business and profits. Street vendors selling Messi masks can barely keep up with demand. [b]"Last night I sold a hundred, today another hundred,"[/b] one of them said, pleased with his business, adding that the price is 10 dollars. "It's going great, I'm thrilled," he laughed into the camera.[/p][infobox id="788805c3-fd23-456b-aa40-3d5232992c8b" /][h2]Messi-mania takes over Texas[/h2][p]When the stadium announcer declared Messi's record-breaking 18th World Cup goal, Texas Live! - the area next to the stadium with a giant screen - literally exploded. Tears of joy, fans jumping in ecstasy, and a mass chorus of celebratory chants showed that football can conquer even the land of cowboys.[/p][p]Regardless of whether football in the USA survives the departure of its biggest star, one thing is certain: that night belonged to Messi. And we were there to witness it![/p][p]What did the celebrations of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] fans sound and look like in Texas? What else do fans say about Messi's legacy? And how is Argentina's rewriting of history being celebrated?[/p][p][a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WJ9EThm8kU&t=160s"][b]Watch the fourth episode of World Cup Questions on Flashscore's YouTube channel to find out![/b][/a][/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]