Lionel Messi played his first game of the year in American soil on Monday, when Inter Miami lost 1-0 to FC Dallas in a preseason friendly to prepare for the 2024 MLS season. Of course, his presence sent everyone wild at the Cotton Bowl.
But it wasn’t just fans who were looking to take a picture with the Argentine star, as even a policeman asked him for a selfie as Leo was leaving the tunnel to warm up before the kick-off.
The moment went viral on social media, as Messi’s bodyguard Yassine Cheuko immediately reacted by getting between his client and the policeman, taking the officer by the arm. Messi, who was walking next to Luis Suarez, laughed about the situation as he didn’t looked bothered at all.
Messi, Inter Miami continue with demanding preseason tour
Messi and company have already played the first two games of a packed preseason tour, which will see the Herons travel more than 23,000 miles in three weeks.
Their first stop was in El Salvador, where Inter Miami failed to break the deadlock in a goalless draw with La Selecta. Now that they’ve stopped by Dallas, the South Florida team is preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Riyadh Season Cup.
Their first game in their tour of the Middle East will be against Al-Hilal on Monday, January 29, before they play Al-Nassr on February 1, with all eyes set on the possibility of watching Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo again.
Three days later, Gerardo Martino’s team will play in Hong Kong to face a combined team of domestic players. On February 7, Inter Miami are expected to take on Vissel Kobe in Japan before going back to Florida, where they will play Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys on Feb. 15 in Fort Lauderdale.