Lionel Messi Tackled by Shirtless Fan Who Stormed Field Mid-Match
Lionel Messi Tackled by Shirtless Fan Who Stormed Field Mid-Match
Michael NiedFri, February 27, 2026 at 8:55 PM UTC
0
A shirtless fan hugs Lionel Messi from behind during an Inter Miami game in Puerto RicoCredit: AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo -
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi was hugged by a shirtless fan during a game on Feb. 26
Video from the incident shows that the fan managed to make it onto the soccer field and sprinted across the stadium with security chasing before he embraced the athlete
When security caught up, they grabbed the fan, who fell to the ground, taking Messi with him
Lionel Messi had an unexpected and unwelcome run-in with a fan while playing for Inter Miami.
The 38-year-old soccer star was representing his team while they played a friendly game against Ecuador's Independiente del Valle at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Shirtless fan that broke onto the field during a Feb. 26 Inter Miami gameCredit: Leopoldo Smith/Getty
However, his gameplay was briefly interrupted when a shirtless fan ran across the stadium and attempted to embrace the athlete.
A video from the game shows the fan wearing a pair of black shorts and holding his shirt in hand while sprinting across the field as a security guard chased him.
The fan managed to evade security long enough to make it to Messi. He embraced the player from behind while he was taking a photo with another person on the field.
Security finally made it to the fan and tackled him as he was holding Messi. This created a domino effect where the security guard pulled the intruding fan down, who then pulled Messi down on top of him.
Advertisement
It appears as though Messi was unharmed by the incident.
According to an Inter Miami press release, the game marked the fourth on the team's Champions Tour. They emerged with a win after Messi and his teammate Santiago Morales scored goals during the game. The final score was 2-1.
Fan who broke onto the field being chased by securityCredit: Leopoldo Smith/Getty
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The team is due to play again on Sunday, March 1 with a game against Orlando City SC.
The Messi incident occurred just weeks after a similar situation took place during the 2026 Super Bowl. On Feb. 8, two streakers were stopped by security with a little help from New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams.
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
