Lionel Messi tackled to the ground during game after his famed bodyguard was not allowed on sidelines

Soccer fable Lionel Messi was tackled to the crushed during a affable successful Puerto Rico connected Thursday

It happened astir the 88th infinitesimal of an accumulation circuit match. Several fans jumped onto the transportation astatine Juan Ramón Loubriel stadium. Messi's team, Inter Miami, was playing Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle successful Bayamón erstwhile a instrumentality ran to the halfway ellipse and grabbed Messi by the waist earlier some were pulled down by a information guard.

Messi appeared to beryllium unharmed. The Argentine prima instantly got up and walked to different portion of the pitch.

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A instrumentality is chased by information guards aft jumping onto the transportation to greet Lionel Messi during a affable crippled betwixt Independiente del Valle and Inter Miami connected Feb. 26, 2026 successful San Juan, Puerto Rico.  (Leopoldo Smith/Getty Images)

Messi's information defender concern has been a taxable of instrumentality fascination for years, particularly aft helium came to the U.S. to articulation Major League Soccer's Inter Miami. 

His main bodyguard, Yassine Chueko, has gone viral successful erstwhile years for hovering alertly implicit Messi portion the prima was playing soccer. However, successful 2025, Inter Miami changed Chueko's relation to forestall him from being connected the tract to defender Messi from transportation invaders. 

Chueko expressed interest and vexation implicit the decision, informing it could effect successful Messi getting tackled.

Lionel Messi's bodyguard took down overzealous fans. (Getty Images)

"They don't let maine to beryllium connected the tract anymore," the bodyguard said successful an interrogation with societal media transmission House of Highlights.

"I was successful Europe for 7 years, moving for Ligue 1 and the Champions League, and lone six radical invaded the pitch. I came to the USA and successful conscionable 20 months, 16 radical person already done so. There's a immense occupation here. I'm not the problem. Let maine assistance Messi."

An Inter Miami squad spokesperson antecedently told ESPN it was a nine decision, not MLS', to not person Cheuko connected the sidelines. However, Cheuko remains an worker of the nine and portion of the information detail, and escorts Messi daily.

Now, astatine the commencement of 2026, a transportation invader has successfully reached Messi connected the tract and brought the 38-year-old superstar to the ground, successful Cheuko's absence. 

Thursday's lucifer was primitively scheduled for Feb. 13, but was postponed due to the fact that Messi felt discomfort successful his limb during the erstwhile accumulation lucifer against Barcelona SC of Ecuador.

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A instrumentality is detained by information guards aft jumping onto the tract to greet Lionel Messi, during a affable crippled betwixt Independiente del Valle and Inter Miami connected Feb. 26, 2026 successful San Juan, Puerto Rico.  (Leopoldo Smith/Getty Images)

Santiago Morales and Messi scored successful the 16th and 70th minutes respectively to springiness Inter Miami a 2-1 win.

Miami, which started its MLS play with a 3-0 nonaccomplishment to LAFC, faces Orlando City adjacent Sunday.

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