Lionel Messi is expected to start for Inter Miami when they take on Monterrey in the second leg of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup tonight. But while the Argentine star will count on the other veteran stars to try and turn the series around, it looks like he won’t have his bodyguard patrolling the sidelines.
According to Argentine journalist Santiago Fourcade, who is based in Monterrey, the 8x Ballon d’Or winner has already been told that Yassine Cheuko will not be allowed to enter the playing field at Estadio BBVA.
He is reportedly only authorized to be on the dressing room and mixed zone press area. Cheuko became Messi’s personal bodyguard from the moment Leo set foot in Miami, and has drawn a lot of attention since then.
By now, Messi fans are already used to seeing the big man following the 36-year-old closely at every stadium, making sure his client is safe. But it looks like tonight Cheuko will have no option but to watch from a further distance.
Yassine Cheuko, bodyguard of Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF, reacts prior to a game against the Orlando City SC at Chase Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Even so, that hasn’t prevented the bodyguard from taking a look at the area where Messi will be for a few hours. With Inter Miami visiting the stadium a day before the match, Cheuko was seen checking the distance between the stands and the playing field.
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Cheuko’s constant presence near Messi in Miami has given a lot to talk about on social media, with many people wondering about his background and how he got to work for Leo. Word on the Internet was that Cheuko was an American Navy SEAL, but Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino denied that story.
“The reality is that so many people invent stories that end up causing problems for the protagonists involved. He had never been to the United States. He wasn’t in the war or part of the U.S. military. All of those reports about him over the past weeks are all false,” Martino told The Athletic in October 2023.
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“… He’s an excellent guy who works with a lot of dedication, always focused. And he’s a close part of our staff, as well. At least confirm things instead of repeating what one outlet says. Then the next outlet repeats the same report and so on. The whole world is watching Inter Miami because of Leo. And because (Yassine works) closely with Leo, those reports become a giant smoke bomb that is false and that can cause issues for a guy who is a very good person.”
