Lionel Messi was caught in a chaotic moment during Inter Miami’s friendly against Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico after an overzealous fan ran onto the pitch and ended up knocking down the Argentine superstar in the closing stages of the match.
The incident took place in the 88th minute at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon. As the game drew to a close, a shirtless fan broke through security and sprinted towards Messi near the center circle. The fan managed to reach him and put his arms around the attacker in an attempt to hug him.
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Seconds later, security rushed in to intervene. The guard knocked the fan to the ground but also knocked Messi down. For a brief moment, the situation looked worrisome as Inter Miami’s captain was left on the turf in the middle of the melee.
But Messi got to his feet almost immediately and calmly walked away, looking completely unharmed.
The late drama came at the end of what had been a productive season for Inter Miami. Messi came on at half-time and impressed by converting a penalty in the 70th minute to help Miami secure a 2-1 win. Santiago Morales scored another goal in a match that was originally scheduled earlier, but was postponed due to a minor foot problem that Messi picked up in the previous exhibition match.
This was not the only nighttime invasion. At least two other fans had already made their way onto the pitch earlier, with one managing to snap a selfie while another got close enough for a brief interaction before being ushered away.
Inter Miami, who opened their MLS season with a 3-0 loss to LAFC, will now focus on their upcoming match against Orlando City next weekend.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 28, 2026 11:09 AM IST
