Lionel Messi's bodyguard takes down pitch invader in the middle of Inter Miami game

Lionel Messi's bodyguard Yassine Chueko tackled an overzealous fan attempting to snap a photo with the football superstar during Inter Miami's match versus Sporting Kansas City

Lionel Messi's bodyguard had another busy evening on Saturday, briefly stopping play during Inter Miami’s match against Sporting Kansas City in order to take down a fan who ran onto the pitch.

On Saturday, Inter Miami secured a 3-2 victory over Sporting KC at Arrowhead Stadium - home of the Kansas City Chiefs. In the closing minutes of the back-and-forth contest, Messi's bodyguard Yassine Chueko did his best impression of an NFL highlight-reel tackle, decking a pitch invader who appeared to be trying to take a photo with the Argentina captain.

Heading into the 91st minute, a man donning a No. 10 Inter Miami jersey rushed onto the pitch and placed his arm around Messi. He was able to snap a photo with the football legend, but was soon after decked by Chueko and surrounded by several members of stadium security.

The overzealous fan wasn’t the only person to get up close to Messi at Arrowhead Stadium. A boy also sprinted onto the field and embraced the Inter Miami star before being escorted away.

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Another young fan attempted to reach Messi, but was almost immediately tackled to the ground by a swarm of security.

Chueko - a former soldier in the United States Army who served as a Navy Seal in Iraq and Afghanistan, per La Nacion - has gone viral in the past for pacing up and down the touchline at Major League Soccer games. Due to Messi’s immense global popularity, the bodyguard is frequently tasked with protecting the forward from pitch invaders looking to meet and get a pic with him.

After previously protecting Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, Chueko was brought to Miami per the recommendation of Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham. He is currently in charge of a 50-person team that ensures the safety of Messi and his loved ones.

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Despite the multiple pauses in action due to on-field intruders, Messi still turned in a masterful performance on Saturday in front of a record-breaking 72,610 fans - including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid.

In the 51st minute, Messi discovered an opening in the defense and scored a screamer to put his team ahead of Sporting KC, 2-1. "It was an amazing goal," Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi said, according to Fox Sports. "He does this all the time, so it doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s normal from a guy like him."

Earlier in the night, the 36-year-old delivered a perfect ball to Diego Gomez, threading a pass between two defenders and setting up his teammate for a score.

"The pass that Messi makes and the second goal, the ball that he hits where he hits it from, you don’t see that much in the MLS," Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes said. "They can punish you."

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