The bodyguard of Lionel Messi goes by the name Yassine Chueko. According to La Nacion, he is a former soldier of the United States Army and has served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Navy Seal
👮♂️🇦🇷 During Inter Miami matches, Leo Messi is followed by an ex-US Navy Seal for maximum security.
The bodyguard is a martial arts, boxer and taekwondo expert. He can be seen even following him during matches. pic.twitter.com/Gl8n1UzHXV
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 24, 2023
VIA NEW YORK POST:
A word of warning to any soccer hooligans thinking of messing with Lionel Messi: Don’t.
The Argentinian soccer star’s stateside arrival has brought with it increased attention on him and his Inter Miami squad, with security becoming a bigger concern.
Enter Yassine Chueko.
The former Navy Seal and mixed martial artist was enlisted by Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham to be Messi’s bodyguard amid the heightened craze of his MLS debut.
While Messi has set the league on fire with 10 goals and three assists in eight games — his highlight-reel helper and goal in penalty kicks gave Miami a 5-4 shootout win in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal against FC Cincinnati on Wednesday — Chueko has been right there on the sidelines keeping a very close watch.
Not that there aren’t plenty of eyes on the Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, either.
With 140,000 Instagram followers and counting, it’s likely many marvel at his shredded physique and training routines.
Chueko will be among those on the field — after walking Messi to and from the team bus, locker room and the pitch — when Inter Miami visits Red Bull Arena on Saturday, with the New York MLS club working with its opponent on security across the board.
“We know fans love to jump on the field and get close to Messi sometimes and we’ve seen it before,” Red Bulls general manager Marc de Grandpré told The Post. “We’re going to try to mitigate that by adding a lot of folks around the pitch so we keep everyone secure.”
Anyone else noticed Leo Messi’s bodyguard?
He was hired by Inter Miami 🫡
— Leo Messi 🔟 Fan Club (@WeAreMessi) August 17, 2023
