“What’s that little dudes name?” - When Joe Rogan described Lionel Messi after watching him play for the first time

UFC commentator Joe Rogan once asked in 2016 who Lionel Messi was after watching the Argentine superstar play for the first time. The MMA expert is best known for hosting an eponymous podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, since 2009.

Joe Rogan came to the forefront in the late 1990s after featuring as a reality TV host in the popular series, Fear Factor. He was been a UFC commentator since 1997 and has hosted over 2000 episodes of his eponymous podcast since 2009. While there's no doubt about Joe Rogan's knowledge of UFC, he once made a bizarre comment about Lionel Messi after watching him play for the first time.

In episode 885 of The Joe Rogan Experience (dated December 3, 2016), the former UFC host was impressed by Lionel Messi's gameplay. He asked who he was to his guest on the episode, Tom Segura, and also called him a wizard.

"What’s that little dude's name? That guy moves like a wizard. What he is able to do with that is just f**king astounding. You have to be so much better than people to do something like that," Rogan said (via SPORTBible).

At the time of Joe Rogan's comments, Lionel Messi was still playing at Barcelona. He had yet to win an international trophy with Argentina which he fulfilled in 2021 with the Copa America. Messi then went on to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup with La Albiceleste and the 2024 Copa America.

The Argentine legend currently plies his trade with MLS side Inter Miami. Since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer of 2023, he led them to the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters' Shield.

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Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano provides update on Lionel Messi ahead of CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against Kansas City

Messi - Source: Getty

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami are set to face Sporting Kansas City in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on February 19, 2025, at the Children's Mercy Park. Ahead of the clash, coach Javier Mascherano assured the media of Messi's availability and said:

“Messi is 100 percent available. I can assure you that he will play."

Mascherano's comments came after earlier reports suggested that Messi may not play the game due to adverse weather conditions. The weather forecasts have predicted a winter snowstorm with about five to seven inches of snow. The temperature is expected to be single digits with the wind chill being between -15 to -25 degrees Celsius.

The CONCACAF Champions Cup clash was initially scheduled for Tuesday, February 18. However, it was postponed to Wednesday due to the weather conditions.