PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A local South Florida artist is hoping to catch Lionel Messi's attention with a vibrant painting commemorating Inter Miami's historic MLS Cup victory this weekend.
Kyle Lucks, a fine art portrait painter who has been living in Florida for five years, spent weeks creating a colorful canvas that captures what he calls Messi's greatest moments in South Florida. The painting celebrates the franchise's first-ever MLS Cup win, achieved just two years after the soccer superstar joined the team.
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"I wanted to get arguably the greatest soccer player of all time on canvas so that anyone who was there or was watching could look back at this and relive that emotion and have that connection to the experience," Lucks said.
The lifelong sports artist has turned his passion into a successful career, despite admitting his athletic skills weren't good enough for professional sports.
"I've been a sports artist my entire life. Unfortunately, my skill was not good enough to get me into the major leagues," Lucks said.
His artistic talents have led to some remarkable connections with athletes. About a year ago, Lucks painted Coco Gauff winning the 2023 US Open. The tennis star discovered the artwork on Instagram and purchased it directly from him.
"To my surprise, she saw it on Instagram and messaged me and brought it," Lucks said.
Now, Lucks is hoping for a similar response from Messi. As someone who has immersed himself in South Florida sports culture, he recognized the significance of Messi's arrival at Inter Miami.
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"As a Floridian of five years, I've been ingraining myself in South Florida sports. So, I was very keen with Leo Messi joined Inter Miami," Lucks said.
The artist knew this MLS Cup victory would be a once-in-a-lifetime moment worth preserving through art. His latest painting uses vibrant colors to portray both South Florida's essence and Messi's most memorable moments with the team.
When asked what it would mean to have Messi see his work, Lucks described it as an opportunity that money couldn't buy.
"It would just be another unreal experience that I couldn't pay for," Lucks said.
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