MIAMI:
Lionel Messi was knocked to the bottom as followers invaded the pitch throughout chaotic scenes at a match in Puerto Rico on Thursday.
Messi was taking part in for Inter Miami in a pleasant towards Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle when supporters raced onto the sphere within the sport’s 88th minute.
Whereas one fan demanded a selfie with the Argentine nice and one other requested for his shirt to be signed, a 3rd rushed to embrace Messi from behind. A safety guard tackled the fan, who dragged the World Cup winner to the ground.
Messi didn’t look like injured within the incident, touchdown on the fan, earlier than selecting himself up and strolling away in obvious frustration.
It capped a farcical night time for a pleasant that began an hour late attributable to a disagreement over which colours every workforce ought to put on.
The argument was seemingly by no means resolved, as each groups ended up taking part in in black.
A penalty kick by Messi gave Miami a 2-1 victory.
Messi, who got here on instead initially of the second half, scored the profitable purpose within the seventieth minute.
Inter Miami had opened the scoring within the sixteenth minute with a purpose from fellow Argentine Santi Morales.
Ecuadorian worldwide Patrik Mercado leveled the rating within the seventeenth minute.
The pleasant was initially scheduled for February 13 however was postponed attributable to a Messi damage.
Practically 20,000 spectators in Bayamon, on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, a US territory, gave the Argentine idol a standing ovation when he lastly entered the sport.
An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner broadly thought of one of many best soccer gamers of all time, Messi is anticipated to characterize Argentina at a file sixth World Cup this summer season.
He has not but formally confirmed he’ll take part within the match, going down throughout america, Mexico and Canada.
