Even before his team faced Lionel Messi in the Leagues Cup, FC Dallas owner Dan Hunt had nothing but praise for MLS’s largest transfer ever.

In just a matter of games, Messi has seemingly transformed the fortunes of Inter Miami – just through his success in this Leagues Cup competition.

And that continued on Sunday night, when the 36-year-old inspired Miami to a remarkable victory in Texas that takes them into the quarter finals.

Speaking to Bloomberg before the game, Hunt compared Messi – arguably the greatest footballer ever – to the man regarded by many as the greatest to ever touch a basketball court.

Hunt said that he couldn’t miss this match for the world – because to him, watching ‘La Puglia’ perform on the pitch: ‘It’s like watching Michael Jordan.’

He added, ‘You’re looking at one of the two greatest players of all time in that experience. So yeah, this is a great moment for FC Dallas.’

FC Dallas co-owner Dan Hunt had a strong comparison for Lionel Messi ahead of Leagues Cup

Hunt said that getting the chance to watch Messi in person is ‘like watching Michael Jordan’

Dan, the son of legendary sports executive Lamar Hunt Sr., is attempting to convince FIFA to give hosting duties for the 2026 World Cup Final to AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area

Hunt is qualified to make that comparison as his family was one of the founding investors of the team Jordan is most associated with: the Chicago Bulls.

Dan and his siblings Clark, Sharron, and Lamar Hunt Jr. also co-own the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL in addition to FC Dallas.

They’re all descended from Lamar Hunt Sr. – one of the most influential sports executives in American history. He founded the American Football League, which would eventually merge with the NFL.

Lamar Sr. was also one of the founding investors of Major League Soccer after spending years as an advocate for the growth of the sport in the USA. The US Open Cup re-named itself in his honor – taking on his name for both the competition and the trophy itself.

Messi scored twice to inspire Inter Miami to a remarkable victory over Dallas on Sunday night

The Hunt siblings have been carrying on their father’s legacy in the sport – having won the Open Cup in 2016 and reaching the finals of that competition as well as MLS Cup since Lamar Sr.’s death in 2006.

Nowadays, the Hunt family is trying to lure the 2026 World Cup Final to Dallas – which would be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Hunt spoke about the bid in the same Bloomberg interview – citing a major international airport and the potential to host the match in a next-generation stadium.

While all 16 host cities in the United States are in play, it’s believed that Dallas’s biggest competition for final hosting duties would be against MetLife Stadium in the New York Area and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.