Lionel Messi’s bodyguard gained widespread attention on social media after Inter Miami’s 1-0 loss to Cincinnati.
In a video that has gone viral, the bodyguard made a young fan’s night, providing a heartwarming moment on an otherwise disappointing evening for the team.
Messi’s arrival in MLS has had a profound impact on his new club. Inter Miami’s fortunes have been transformed with the addition of the World Cup winner, and Messi himself has been instrumental in several impressive wins, scoring 11 goals in 12 appearances.
However, the team had faced challenges in Messi’s absence due to injury, and they had not secured a victory since his last appearance in a match where they defeated Toronto 4-0. In this particular match against Cincinnati, they were seeking to bounce back from a 4-1 defeat to Chicago Fire in their previous outing.
Defeat ends playoff hopes
Messi was still not ready to start the game and was named on the substitutes bench for the huge clash against Cincinnati. But nine minutes into the second half, the Argentine came off the bench, receiving a thunderous reception inside the DRV PNK Arena.
🇦🇷🐐 Entra Lionel Messi, borrón y cuenta nueva en un Inter Miami – Cincinnati muy apretado pic.twitter.com/IFO1rp2S3M
— Futbol Petit (@FutbolPetit) October 8, 2023
Despite Lionel Messi’s best efforts, Inter Miami was unable to secure a victory on the night, and their hopes of reaching the playoffs were dashed when they conceded late in the game. Argentine player Alvaro Barreal capitalized on a rebound from a save made by Miami’s goalkeeper, Drake Callender, to score from close range.
Despite enjoying a dominant share of possession and taking more shots than their opponents, Miami struggled to find the target. Cincinnati, the division leaders, exhibited better accuracy and created more promising opportunities, leaving the home supporters frustrated on what turned out to be a disappointing evening for the team.
Messi’s bodyguard goes viral
After the match, a heartwarming moment went viral, featuring Messi’s bodyguard, Yassine Chueko, and a young fan. The young supporter decided to seize the opportunity and invaded the pitch to capture a picture with Messi. It’s hard to blame him for wanting such a memorable experience.
In the video, which has garnered over 1.6 million views on X (assuming this refers to a specific social media platform), Messi’s bodyguard, Yassine Chueko, is quick to spot the young boy and takes immediate action to prevent him from approaching Miami’s star player. Chueko is known for his no-nonsense approach to his job, as he had previously intervened to stop a pitch invader who attempted a similar act last month.
Yet this time, after initially stopping the kid, he escorts him over to the star so that he can meet his idol and take a picture, with the Miami crowd applauding him for doing so. Chueko never leaves their side during all of this, with Messi signing the fan’s shirt before the bodyguard escorts him off.
A lovely moment on what was otherwise an underwhelming night for Miami. Check out the video for yourselves below.
Messi’s bodyguard is undefeated:
▪️ Makes the play on the pitch invader
▪️ Then gives him a memory for life— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 8, 2023