Lionel Messi’s time in Major League Soccer has already spawned some incredible moments. From his first-ever MLS goal to his pair of tallies in his second game, Messi is making the most of his time stateside.
And now, add a devilish Darth Vader-like celebration to the mix and you’ve got an instant meme!
On Tuesday, during Messi’s big two-goal match against Atlanta United, the 36-year-old broke out an absolutely stone cold celebration. With a blank expression, Messi raised his hand in the style of Darth Vader’s iconic force choke before giving the fans a smirk to cap off the celebration.
احتفالية الأسطورة ميسي 🥶🦩 pic.twitter.com/Xl3bp2o1un
— Messi Xtra (@M30Xtra) July 26, 2023
That’s a pretty cool celebration, if you ask me. People instantly started to notice the similarities between Messi’s celebration and iconic Sith lords from Star Wars.
Miami Messi in his villain era 😅 pic.twitter.com/fArikC6Qa9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 26, 2023
And after that, the rest was history. Here’s how soccer fans reacted to Messi’s Darth Vader-like celebration that turned into an instant meme.