It was clear since the first touch by Lionel Messi.
Every time he dribbled or passed the ball, there was a sound of excitement. Except for small groups made by Israelis of Argentinian or Uruguayan descent, most fans in Bloomfield Stadium came to see only one player.
Although Uruguay fielded their best players, including Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, everything in this friendly match was set up for Lionel Messi. Just like in the game against Brazil in Saudi Arabia or any of their USA tours. Welcome to the flying circus of Lionel Messi.
Teams from South America are hosting more friendly matches abroad nowadays. Brazil, for example, is playing a global tour for marketing reasons. They previously played in England, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, sometimes not even against the local national team. The power of these matches wasn't based on a player. It was based on the team itself as a 5-times World Cup winner that everyone wants to see.
Meanwhile, Argentina is making the same way around the world. After playing against Brazil in Suadi Arabia, they arrived in Israel for a match against Uruguay. Unlike their opponents, Argentina's matches cannot be taken seriously. The Argentine FA is facing financial problems, which leads its chairman, Claudio Tapia, to find a new way to bring money. Thankfully for him, Tapia has a golden egg named Lionel Messi. Barcelona's superstar is bringing attention wherever he will play, and foreign businessmen would love to pay millions to host him. Unlike the Brazilian exhibition games, Argentina decides its schedule based on money and PR potential.
Argentina played more than once in the USA in front of local fans, sometimes even against another Latin teams. The Middle East became another place that hosted Argentina more than once, especially in Saudi Arabia, where Turki Al-Sheikh being involved.
Israel also has its own Al-Sheikh, and his name is Dani Benaim. Benaim is an entrepreneur that already organized sports and culture events. Before the 2018 World Cup, he tried to schedule a friendly match between Israel and Argentina. It was supposed to be the last match for Argentina before flying to Russia. A series of incidents, including a disagreement about the host city and BDS protests, led to the cancellation of the game.
More than a year later, he had a second chance. As Israel wasn't available to play, he decided to invite Uruguay as the opponent to the match in Tel Aviv. As expected, the tickets were sold out quickly. Everyone talked about the opportunity to see Lionel Messi in Israel. The fans chanted his name, and there was no doubt about the most favorite team that night. You could feel it when Uruguay took the lead first. In the 34th minute, Edinson Cavani scored Uruguay's first goal, and the atmosphere became a bit nervous. It happened again when Luis Suárez scored the second goal in the 68th minute, only five minutes after Sergio Agüero has equaled.
While Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez celebrated, the fans became silent (Asi Kipper)
The additional time was the moment that all the fans expected. A penalty kick was awarded to Argentina and Lionel Messi was chosen to kick it. He equalized the score again and gave those who came to support him a reason to go home satisfied, even though Argentina failed to win. The fact that all the other three goals were scored by world-class players didn't bother them.
The Argentine FA could be happy too. It was another successful tour that brought more funds to the poor organization. Now they will have a long time without friendly matches, as the 2022 World Cup qualifiers will begin in March.
Lionel Messi, one kick to keep everyone happier (Asi Kipper)
After the match, journalists waited in the mixed zone. They were all prepared to ask Lionel Messi all the questions they ever dreamed about. They waited half an hour until one of the organizers said: "There is nobody left in the dressing rooms." Messi has sneaked away, directly to a private jet that took him back to Barcelona. Those who wish to see him will need to wait for his next tour. If it depends on Ricardo Tapia, it will happen again soon.