Sports
F1’s rising star Franco Colapinto has already been compared to Messi, but will the hype last?
Stardom in Argentina is a unique cultural phenomenon, particularly for the country’s professional athletes. In a nation where sport is debated as passionately as politics and world affairs, one is more likely to be polarizing than universally admired.
Which is why the story of rising Formula 1 star Franco Colapinto is unique.
The 21-year-old Argentine replaced Williams’ American driver Logan Sargeant in August. Since then, Colapinto has experienced a constant whirlwind as one of F1’s most popular newcomers. His best finish was eighth place at September’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He was the first South American in F1 history to finish in the top 12 in his first three races.
But even a casual observer of F1 knows that Colapinto is still many miles away from breaking into its aristocracy.
In Argentina, that matters not. Colapinto is flying the Argentina flag in one of world sport’s most visible arenas. He has captivated the nation within a few months. His youthful personality and approachability as a sought-after public figure have endeared him to his countrymen and women, who don’t always appreciate their idols.
Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are both Argentine football royalty but took wildly different paths to kingship. Maradona was a diamond in the rough, unearthed from the humble Buenos Aires neighborhood of Villa Fiorito. A people’s champion from an early age, the brash and unapologetically outspoken Maradona would go from phenom to deity in Argentina after leading his national team to glory at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Messi, meanwhile, was discovered on the dirt pitches of Rosario, 300km from capital Buenos Aires, as a pre-teen with local club Newell’s Old Boys. He was quickly spotted by an agent who connected Messi’s family with decision-makers at leading Spanish club Barcelona. At 13, Messi moved from Rosario to Europe, etching his own story into the annals of world football while away from home.
Like Colapinto, who left Argentina for Italy at 14 to pursue racing, Messi’s formative years took place thousands of miles from his homeland. Despite Messi’s unworldly talent, he had a distant relationship with Argentina’s public. He became a pariah, labeled a foreigner after losing four major finals with the national team. The press was Messi’s principal nemesis. He was ostracized before he was idolized.
Today, Messi is revered as a resilient legend after leading Argentina to the World Cup title two years ago and back-to-back Copa America trophies in 2021 and 2024. His transformation is now a case study of how Argentines measure success in sports. It’s not a cautionary tale for Colapinto, though.
In a football-crazed country such as Argentina (and throughout South America), F1 is a niche sport. It’s luxurious and virtually unattainable — the cultural opposite of football.
Colapinto’s ascension has also coincided with one of the greatest moments for Argentine football. Previously vilified as underachievers, Messi and his teammates have reached a new level of celebrity. They are social media and popular culture darlings. Once easy targets for criticism, national-team players are now routinely celebrated and defended by the press. Their success united the country and softened a notoriously toxic media environment.
The timing has been ideal for Colapinto. The Argentine press has already referred to him as a genius and a generational talent — plaudits that have been reserved back home for Maradona, Messi, former tennis star Gabriela Sabatini and NBA legend Emanuel Ginobili. Pundits have audaciously said that Colapinto is the next Ayrton Senna.
The late Senna, an F1 icon, sits rightfully alongside Brazil’s greatest footballers, including Pelé, Zico and Ronaldo. By contrast, the hype has intensified around Colapinto so much that, in some media circles, he has been compared to Messi.
“I don’t think I’m anywhere near Leo Messi,” Colapinto recently told the Fast and the Curious podcast. “He’s at another level and I cannot believe that people compare me to Leo. I’m like ‘What’s wrong with you?’.”
Diario Olé columnist Diego Macias described Colapinto as “the ideal combo”.
“There’s a vibe about him, he’s witty and laid back, and he could give lessons on charisma and empathy to more than a few people. He doesn’t have a ceiling,” Macias wrote.
He certainly is a marketer’s dream. Colapinto is a social media influencer who has quickly amassed more than 3million followers on Instagram. The trail of paparazzi that follows him around the world seems to grow, as well. Naturally, Colapinto is a football fan. He revealed recently that he supports Buenos Aires club Boca Juniors.
At the Italian Grand Prix in September, Colapinto’s F1 debut, hordes of fans waving Boca and Argentina jerseys showed up to support him. Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters on the day of the race that he was watching Colapinto compete at Monza on a split screen alongside an English Premier League match.
Swept along by the excitement, Scaloni said it was “very strange” to have been distracted by something other than football.
“It’s exciting for Argentines to have a driver, and for him to have done it the way he did: the crowd in Monza with the flags, the fans going wild… I congratulate him. We’re proud to have a Formula 1 driver in the top category,” said Scaloni.
Although he preferred to not name which ones have reached out to him, Colapinto said that he has spoken to several current Argentina national-team players about his current success. “It’s very big for the country, and they are just enjoying the moment, and yes, it’s great,” he said.
It’s been a steady climb towards the mainstream for Colapinto.
There isn’t a day that he isn’t part of Argentina’s daily sports coverage. He has earned sponsorship deals from Argentina-based companies such as YPF, an oil and gas conglomerate that also sponsors the national football team. Argentine DJ and producer Bizarrap joined software firm Globant and e-commerce company Mercado Libre to provide Colapinto with the financial backing he needed to compete in F1.
Colapinto is innocently brash. He has good looks, is media-friendly and has shown courage on the track. That is the ideal combo in today’s sporting landscape, where athletes are their brand. Before the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend, Colapinto was featured in a humorous race-inspired ad for Mercado Libre. He also graced the cover of Forbes magazine’s Mexico edition on the eve of the race.
“Formula 1 is now seeing how much they miss those Latino fans and those Argentine fans, because they have been extremely insane,” Colapinto told reporters before the race in Mexico City. “In only a couple of races, they have gone crazy and the support that they have, I honestly haven’t seen it in any other driver. It’s special and unique.”
Even if he does not yet have a guaranteed F1 seat for the 2025 season, in Argentina, he has become just as popular as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. In Latin America, Colapinto joins Mexican driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez as the bearers of the region’s rich history with F1.
“What a lot of us believed in the past was that it was impossible for an Argentine driver to get to Formula 1,” Colapinto said. “It’s great to see so many Latinos all together. You can see in other sports there was some fighting between the Brazilians and the Mexicans and Argentinians but now in Formula 1, in motorsport, it looks like everyone is together and everyone is supporting me, like the Brazilians, the Mexicans and the Argentinians.”
In Argentina, almost everything associated with the furor surrounding Colapinto has gone viral on social media. After he finished 12th in Mexico (ahead of Perez and Fernando Alonso), cameras captured the Ferrari pit watching the media and fan frenzy that now follows him on F1 Sundays.
“I love you, Franco!,” one woman screamed. Diario Olé’s caption on a photo of the scene read, “The Ferrari team trying to understand the craziness around Colapinto.”
Last week, a popular restaurant in Buenos Aires added Colapinto to its menu. El Antojo (The Craving) has become known for shaping its milanesa, a breaded beef cutlet that is the unofficial national dish of Argentina, into the likeness of celebrities. Messi and Argentina teammate Emiliano Martinez, as well as former national-team winger Angel Di Maria, have previously been honored in breadcrumbs.
Colapinto has not returned home since going from an unknown amateur to a cult hero in Argentina. Asked how he is adjusting to his new life as a megastar, he replied in typically humble terms.
“It’s been a lot, and luckily I haven’t gone to Argentina yet, so I don’t know how it’s down there, but from what I hear it’s going a bit crazy,” he said. “I love the support that I get.”
Colapinto hasn’t won anything yet in a sport defined by pole positions, top speeds and perennial championships. His future in F1 is also uncertain, as he is not guaranteed a drive with Williams next season. Nevertheless, Colapinto is riding a wave of attention in Argentina that is coexisting with Messi’s acclaim.
Argentina has the world’s best national football team, which has led to an ongoing commemoration by the press of its recent accomplishments. From a sporting perspective, things are as good as they have ever been.
Will Colapinto continue to benefit from this newfound praise or will his star rise based on consistent sporting merit? One thing is certain: Argentina’s hunger for more trophies is matched only by their passion for sporting prestige.
Luke Smith contributed to this story.
(Top photo: Joe Portlock / Getty Images)
Sports
Hate ’em if you want, but Chiefs make no apologies while continuing pursuit of history
Patrick Mahomes couldn’t help himself.
A couple hours after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to an AFC championship victory over the Buffalo Bills — a triumph that clinched the team’s third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl and the fifth in the last six seasons — Mahomes pulled out his cell phone, fired up the good ol’ Twitter/X app, loaded the iconic Kermit sipping tea meme and sent out the message: “I’ll see y’all in New Orleans! #ChiefsKingdom.”
https://t.co/l8yksh2rWx pic.twitter.com/rgh5x6aSUs
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 27, 2025
It was a slick clapback. Kermit jokes are nothing new for Mahomes, who has long been ribbed for the way his unique voice reminds many of the Muppets star. During training camp, members of the Las Vegas Raiders mocked their divisional rival with a Kermit puppet wearing a curly wig and red No. 15 jersey. Mahomes got the last laugh in the form of a regular-season sweep. Ahead of the Chiefs’ regular-season road game against the Bills in November, some fans found humor in hanging a Kermit the Frog doll in a similar wig-and-jersey getup high above a street outside Highmark Stadium (the racist overtones many saw in the image are likely the reason it stuck in Mahomes’ mind).
Buffalo won that regular season game. However, Mahomes again laughed last, in the game that really mattered. He ripped out the hearts of the Bills and their fans with one of his most dominant performances of the season, ending Buffalo’s Super Bowl hopes for the fourth time in the last five years.
Mahomes’ meme deployment represented both a good-natured rubbing of salt in the Bills’ wounds, and a wink directed at the increasing number of football fans who would love to see anyone but Mahomes and the Chiefs hoist yet another Lombardi Trophy.
The Chiefs have officially taken over as football’s Evil Empire. They replaced the New England Patriots, who under the direction of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady dominated the NFL for the better part of two decades. The Patriots won six Super Bowls while appearing in nine from 2002-19. One season after losing to those same Patriots in the 2018 AFC Championship, Mahomes and the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl. Three years later, they won another, and then another, the first back-to-back champs since New England (in 2004 and ’05). And now they’re back in the Super Bowl again, going for an unprecedented three-peat.
It’s remarkable that dating back to Super Bowl XXXVI, played in February 2002, 14 of the last 24 Super Bowls have featured either the Patriots or the Chiefs, with New England winning six out of their nine appearances and the Chiefs winning three of four (with the outcome of the fifth to be determined). The dominance, however, has caused the Chiefs to — in the eyes of some fans — morph from fresh-faced underdogs into reviled power players whose prospect of continued success provokes feelings of nausea.
Is it logical? No.
Surprising? Not entirely.
But there is a mindbending aspect to the speed at which some fans have turned on the Chiefs.
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Just a few short years ago, the Chiefs were viewed as the perfect antidote to decades of Patriots fatigue. They were everything New England was not.
Bill Belichick was the surly, personality-devoid leader of a franchise that required rigid adherence to the Patriot Way. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is the endearing, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing grandfatherly figure encouraging individuality while permitting his players to color outside of the lines.
Non-Pats fans viewed Brady as arrogant, overly polished, calculated, demanding and robotic. Mahomes was unassuming, with a knack for making Houdini-esque escapes under pressure and delivering throws to any spot on the field — from every conceivable arm slot. Meanwhile, sidekick Travis Kelce was the fun-loving freelancer drawing as much praise for his colorful personality as he did his confounding route-running and clutch catches.
The Patriots’ critics branded them as cheaters because of the sign-stealing scandal and the Brady-related “Deflategate.” The Chiefs maintained a wholesome feel while building their dynasty through homegrown talent, smart financial moves and continuity both at the core of their roster and on their coaching staff.
Kansas City seemed to have the whole country behind them six years ago as they fell short against New England in that 37-31 overtime loss at Arrowhead Stadium, which preceded the final Lombardi trophy of the Patriots dynasty. And the Chiefs’ popularity only further skyrocketed the following season as Mahomes and Co. pulled off a comeback victory over San Francisco for the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the 1969 season.
Mahomes’ jersey became the NFL’s leading seller and his team took on a new crop of bandwagon fans. Kansas City and their quarterback and coach remained a marvel three seasons later as they rebounded from a Super Bowl loss to Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs to win a second Super Bowl a year later.
But somewhere between that second and third Super Bowl campaign, the feelings directed at Kansas City started to switch from fascination and fondness to fatigue and loathing. The distaste for the Chiefs has only increased this season.
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But why?
Is it envy over the way Mahomes always finds a way to get it done, winning 17 straight games decided by one score?
Is it the decrease of offensive fireworks as the Chiefs have reinvented themselves from a high-scoring machine to a defensive juggernaut, with Mahomes seemingly saving his difference-making plays for the closing minutes of games?
Is the off-the-field stuff, like the ubiquitous Reid-Mahomes commercials, or the constant coverage of Kelce’s relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift?
All of the above? Probably.
Regardless, for many the rage has become blinding. That’s reflected in the silly-yet-increasingly popular school of thought that the Chiefs now receive preferential treatment from officials, part of a mandate from the NFL to ensure Kansas City wins another Super Bowl. Those who subscribe to this belief view every questionable penalty flagged against Kansas City’s opponents (a late hit as Mahomes slips out of bounds, a roughing the passer call as a foe grazes his helmet, a pass-interference flag to extend a drive) as evidence that the fix is in. They do so while, incredibly, ignoring all of the calls that officials botch in non-Chiefs games.
Those fans also never stop to consider a couple of other facts that would discredit their stance.
Young or poorly-constructed teams typically wilt in the most pressure-packed moments and tend to hurt themselves by committing ill-timed transgressions. Quality teams and coaches execute at their best in the face of pressure. So it should come as no surprise that the Chiefs — a franchise that, like New England during its reign, is as well-constructed and battle-tested as any in the league — don’t burn themselves at critical junctures. There’s nothing fluky about the bulk of those 17 one-score wins.
The NFL goes to great lengths to ensure parity — revenue sharing, salary cap, free agency, the draft process — because league officials know that competitive balance and an ever-changing slate of contenders and champions is good for business. It would make no sense to fix games for a small-market team like the Chiefs. If anything, the league would want to see the Jets and Giants, Bears and Cowboys emerge as juggernauts rather than trainwrecks.
The haters seem to allow a blend of jealousy, boredom and obsession for the next big thing to cloud their critical thinking skills. And so, they parse through every play and every call in search of detracting factors. It’s the typical response of bitter fans of the hunters, directed at the hunted. Just ask the Patriots, Yankees, Dodgers, Lakers, Bulls, Golden State Warriors or any other dynasty.
If it’s not our team, we tire quickly of dominance. And rather than allow ourselves to appreciate historic feats, we distract ourselves with belly-aching, eye-rolling and teeth-gnashing over those unstoppable opponents.
In Mahomes, the NFL has a superstar piling up accomplishments at a rate that not even Brady proved capable of. Meanwhile, Reid continues to prove himself as one of the most creative masterminds in NFL history. How could you not appreciate such rare levels of greatness?
The Chiefs make no apologies for their excellence. By now, they’re a well-oiled machine powered by brilliant talent evaluators, creative coaches and special players willing to sacrifice to ensure that they have the best chance of extending what looks like another historic window of contention.
They’re also not bristling at all the hate. Instead, Mahomes and his teammates find it amusing. They embrace the role of the villain and continue their pursuit of history, which — sorry to break it to you — given the fact that Mahomes hasn’t even turned 30, could extend much longer.
Hate on.
(Photo: Fernando Leon / Getty Images)
Sports
2 NBA stars on the move in latest blockbuster deal: report
Two NBA stars are reportedly on the move Sunday, hours after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis earlier in the day.
The Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs were finalizing a deal involving De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine, ESPN reported.
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Fox was traded to the Spurs and LaVine was traded to the Kings in the deal, according to the report. The Bulls will reportedly receive Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Heurter and a 2025 draft pick.
The Kings guard is two seasons removed from his first All-Star appearance. He was averaging 25 points, 6.1 assists and five rebounds with the team before he was dealt. He has played for the Kings since the 2017-18 season.
LaVine, a two-time All-Star, had been with the Bulls since the 2017-18 season as well. He was mostly injured during the 2023-24 season but bounced back and played in 42 games this season. He’s averaging 24 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Fox will now pair up with Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are 21-25 this season and are about three games behind the Golden State Warriors for 11th in the Western Conference.
LaVine will team up with Domantas Sabonis. The Kings are two seasons removed from their playoff run in 2023. Sacramento has seen changes this season and the Fox trade appeared to be the end of it. The team fired head coach Mike Brow and replaced him with Doug Christie.
The Kings are in 10th in the West with a record of 24-24. Chicago is in 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-28 record.
San Antonio will also receive Jordan McLaughlin and the Kings will receive Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks and three second-round picks.
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Sports
After hometown World Series run, Jack Flaherty is heading back to Detroit
At the start of the offseason, Los Angeles native and Dodgers World Series champion Jack Flaherty voiced his desire to remain with his hometown team.
But it became clear long ago this winter that the Dodgers — who have replenished their rotation with marquee signings of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki — wouldn’t have the room to bring him back.
So, Flaherty decided to return to his other 2024 club instead.
On Sunday night, Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers, the team that sent Flaherty to the Dodgers at the trade deadline last season, agreed to a two-year contract for $35 million, ESPN reported. Flaherty, who posted a picture to X of himself in a Tigers uniform after the news broke, will make $25 million in 2025 and have a $10-million player option in 2026 — creating the possibility he will be back on the free-agent market again next winter.
It was a little over a year ago that Flaherty first signed with Detroit, joining the Tigers last offseason on a one-year deal.
Once a budding ace with the St. Louis Cardinals, Flaherty was looking to rebuild his stock after injury troubles and inconsistent performance. And in Detroit, the right-hander staged the turnaround he was hoping for.
In the first half of the season, Flaherty posted a 7-5 record and 2.95 ERA in 18 starts. With the Tigers then on the fringes of the playoff picture (they would later rally down the stretch to earn a wild-card berth), Flaherty became one of the top starters available on the midseason trade market.
On deadline day, the New York Yankees nixed a potential deal for Flaherty because of reported concerns over his medical records. That opened the door for the Dodgers, who were in desperate need of pitching help after a wave of injuries ravaged their rotation, to swoop in at the last second and add the Harvard-Westlake product to their undermanned staff.
Just as they hoped, Flaherty became a stabilizing force for the Dodgers on the mound. He went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts down the stretch. And by the playoffs, he was one of only three healthy starters remaining on the roster, leading the team in innings pitched during their extended October campaign.
Flaherty’s postseason performance was inconsistent. He twice led the club to key wins in Game 1 of both the National League Championship Series and World Series. But he also suffered several clunkers, including an eight-run outing in Game 5 of the NLCS and an abbreviated four-run start in Game 5 of the World Series.
The Dodgers, of course, overcame Flaherty’s struggles in the latter contest, rallying from the early hole to clinch the title at Yankee Stadium. And as Flaherty celebrated the championship, he held out hope of remaining with his favorite childhood team.
“I love this city,” Flaherty said during the team’s World Series parade. “I never want to leave. I never want to leave.”
Despite that, Flaherty never seemed likely to stay with the Dodgers this winter.
The expectation was that he would cash in on his strong 2024 season to land a longer-term deal elsewhere. The Dodgers, meanwhile, added Snell (a two-time Cy Young Award winner) and Sasaki (a 23-year-old phenom from Japan) to a rotation that will also get Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May back from injuries next season.
“I’m not going back to L.A. most likely — I can do the numbers, do the math,” Flaherty told Foul Territory last month. “It doesn’t bother me. I’m trying to go elsewhere and win and see if we can’t beat those guys.”
Flaherty didn’t ultimately get the long-term deal he was looking for (though he will earn a substantial 2025 salary and is positioned to test the free-agent waters again next season). However, he will get to return to a familiar setting in Detroit, rejoining a Tigers team he spoke highly of after his trade to the Dodgers.
“I really enjoyed my time with Detroit,” Flaherty said during the NLCS. “What those guys were able to do in the second half and the run that they made, I think, surprised a lot of people. I don’t think it really surprised me.”
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