At a game in Puerto Rico on Thursday, there were wild scenes as fans stormed the field, knocking Lionel Messi to the ground.
In the 88th minute of Inter Miami’s friendly match against Independiente del Valle of Ecuador, Messi was playing when fans rushed onto the pitch.
One fan hurried to give Messi a backward embrace, while another wanted a selfie with the Argentine legend and that his shirt be signed. The fan dragged the World Cup winner to the ground after being tackled by a security guard.
Messi appeared to be unharmed by the event, landing on the fan before getting up and leaving in apparent frustration.
It was the culmination of a ridiculous evening for a friendly that began an hour late because of a dispute over the colors that each side should wear. Both teams ended up playing in black, as the dispute was never settled.
Miami won 2-1 thanks to a penalty kick from Messi. Messi scored the match-winning goal in the 70th minute after entering the game as a replacement at the beginning of the second half.
Santi Morales, another Argentine, gave Inter Miami the lead in the 16th minute. In the 17th minute, Ecuadorian international Patrik Mercado levelled the score.
Messi’s injury caused the friendly, which was initially set for February 13, to be postponed.
When the Argentine idol eventually entered the game, about 20,000 fans in Bayamon, on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, a US commonwealth, gave him a standing ovation.
Messi, who has won eight Ballon d’Or awards and is regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time, is anticipated to play for Argentina in a record-breaking sixth World Cup this summer, though he has not yet formally stated that he will compete in the competition, which will be held across the US, Mexico, and Canada.
