Lionel Messi, the Argentine professional footballer, is tough to bring down on the field, and it seems that even security guards can’t handle him either. In a recent incident at Red Bell Arena in Harrison, NJ, after scoring his first goal of the game, a half-naked fan approached Messi and asked him to sign his back. Messi was initially surprised but decided to oblige and started signing when suddenly, three guards tackled the fan to the ground, almost taking down Messi with them. More guards rushed in to control the situation.
The thousands of spectators at Red Bull Arena were treated to an impressive performance by Lionel Messi on Tuesday night. Despite a momentary incident where a fan ran onto the field, the Argentinian remained unharmed and went on to score an incredible goal just three minutes later. This time, he skillfully kicked the ball through the defensive wall and beyond Andre Blake’s reach for his ninth free-kick goal for Argentina. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Messi encountered an overzealous fan during the game. In the 65th minute, another spectator sprinted onto the field and tried to take a photo with him. Messi calmly watched as security subdued the fan, who persisted in trying to snap a picture with his phone.
At first, Messi was taken aback when a fan approached him with a phone, but he eventually agreed to sign their back. Argentina continued their unbeaten streak of 35 matches over three years with Messi’s help, as they defeated Jamaica 3-0 in a World Cup warmup game. The superstar player was brought on as a substitute in the 56th minute and scored two goals, bringing his total international goals to 90 in 164 appearances and marking his 17th multigoal game. Even Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, couldn’t help but express his admiration for Messi, saying that everyone, regardless of their country, enjoys watching him play. Julian Alvarez also had nothing but praise for Messi, describing him as someone who can do amazing things whether he plays for five minutes or the entire match.
Messi, who is currently 35 years old, is most likely playing in his final World Cup this November in Qatar. During a recent match, Manchester City’s Alvarez scored the first goal for Argentina after receiving a pass from Nicolas Tagliafico and spinning around Leon Bailey to create space before passing to Alvarez, who slotted the ball past Blake. With 12 consecutive World Cup appearances and two championships under their belt, Argentina hopes to add another title to their collection. They have one more friendly match against the United Arab Emirates before they head to Qatar, where they will play against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland. Since their loss to Brazil in the Copa América in July 2019, Argentina has won 25 games (one on penalty kicks) and drawn 10.
Argentina is considered as a top contender to emerge as the champions in Qatar and is expected to have a smooth sailing in their group stage.