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 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.
La Nacion reports Chueko is former Navy Seal who spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan, though ex-Seal Don Shipley has raised doubts surrounding his service.
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 him, 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.”
Getting into the game will be hard enough, with ticket prices soaring above the $3,000 mark.
Fans thinking about getting close to Messi himself may be even less realistic with Chueko on the field.