The kickoff of the 2025 Club World Cup in Miami gave us one of the most viral off-field moments so far. Popular American streamer iShowSpeed, known for being a die-hard Cristiano Ronaldo fan, went through a wild emotional ride. Even though he got to sit in the FIFA president’s seat, meet legends like Ronaldo Nazário and Roberto Baggio, and joke around with Sergio “Kun” Agüero, things took a turn when he got totally ignored by Lionel Messi.

Messi walks by, Speed freezes

It all happened in one of the hallways of the Hard Rock Stadium, as Messi was heading to the pitch. Speed, super hyped, shouted “Messi!” hoping for a response. But the Inter Miami star didn’t even glance at him—he greeted other players like Pepe, the former Real Madrid defender, instead. The image of Speed standing frozen with his mouth wide open blew up on social media.

That awkward moment sparked debate online, especially since Speed is known for his full-on devotion to Cristiano Ronaldo—he even wore a shirt with Ronaldo’s face on it. Some fans saw his attempt to connect with Messi as a betrayal, while others said it was just him showing respect to one of the greats.

Kun Agüero fuels the rivalry

Another viral moment was his chat with Agüero, who, after seeing Speed’s excitement about Messi, teased him: “Wait, aren’t you a Cristiano fan?” Then he dropped the line: “Ronaldo is playing here? Oh right, he’s watching it on TV.” The joke, though lighthearted, spread fast across social platforms.

Even though Messi didn’t acknowledge him, Speed ended up being one of the stars of the day. From pretending to be the FIFA president thanks to Gianni Infantino, to getting a hand from Ronaldo Nazário with his official jacket, his experience showed how the 2025 Club World Cup is also a stage where football and digital entertainment collide.