Messi, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup runs for Heat, Panthers continue South Florida's sports success - ESPN

South Florida remains the axis on which the sports world turns.

Get exclusive access to thousands of premium articles a year from top writers. • MLB mock draft: Who will go No. 1? » • Can the Celtics afford to keep Brown? » • Ranking NFL offseasons from 1 to 32 »More ESPN+ content »

It's not just their basketball and hockey teams, which are playing in the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final, respectively. It's yet another megastar, this time soccer G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi, taking his talents to South Beach.

In both basketball and hockey, squads from the Miami area and beyond have been punching well above their weight. Upsets are the rule rather than the exception, Cinderella runs go way past midnight, and in general no team with a (1) next to its name wants to play anyone from a South Florida team these days.

Here's a quick look back at the improbable run of Florida dominance.

Following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, Messi is headed to MLS. The 2022 World Cup winner had been rumored to return to Barcelona or make a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Instead, he'll play for David Beckham's club.

He will join the likes of other international stars like Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gareth Bale, Wayne Rooney and others to play in the U.S. league.

Breaking: Lionel Messi says he's going to play for Inter Miami, he told SPORT and Mundo Deportivo. pic.twitter.com/G6j0yNRaMr

The Miami Hurricanes and Florida Atlantic Owls were fifth and ninth seeds, respectively, going into the NCAA tournament. They certainly didn't play like it. Miami knocked off the 4-seed Indiana Hoosiers, 1-seed Houston Cougars and 2-seed Texas Longhorns to make their first Final Four in tournament history. Meanwhile, the Owls defeated the 8-seed Memphis