Lionel Messi Takes Selfie With Kid Who Stormed Pitch

Normally, running onto the field during a sporting event will get you body slammed and arrested. But if you're a little kid and Lionel Messi is there, it'll get you a selfie and an autograph.

As the clock expired on Inter Miami's loss to Cincinnati on Saturday night, a young fan sprinted onto the pitch in an attempt to meet the world's best soccer player.

But as he made a beeline for Messi, bodyguard Yassine Chueko stopped the boy in his tracks. Instead of escorting him off the field, though, Chueko walked the kid over to introduce him to his hero. Messi took a photo with the fan and even signed his jersey.

On one hand, this is a cute, heartwarming exchange. On the other, it's probably a bad precedent to set. Because now a bunch more kids are going to try doing the same.

So Chueko might have created a problem for himself.

Now, if this is your first time hearing of Messi's personal bodyguard, allow me to introduce you.

Inter Miami hired Chueko to look after Messi following a personal recommendation from club president David Beckham. His job is to stay as close to the international soccer superstar as possible — guarding him from soccer balls, T-shirts and even fans who want to put their hands on his shoulder for a photo.

Take a look.

According to The Spun, Chueko is a former MMA fighter and Navy SEAL who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. That claim, though, is still in dispute. Current and former SEALs unit told The Daily Mail they had never heard of him and that his name did not appear in a database of SEAL veterans they had access to.

Regardless, he's a bad mofo.

And that kid was lucky on Saturday. Because he never would have attempted invading the pitch if he saw what happened to the last guy who tried to get to Lionel Messi.

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)