Lionel Messi Briefly Knocked Down by Pitch Invaders During Friendly in Puerto Rico

Alanbatnews -

Lionel Messi was briefly knocked to the ground by fans who stormed the field during a friendly match in Puerto Rico.

The incident occurred in the 88th minute of the match between Inter Miami and Independiente del Valle of Ecuador. Several fans rushed Messi as chaos ensued.

One fan attempted to take a selfie, while another sought an autograph. A third fan approached Messi from behind to shake his hand. Security intervened, but in the process, the Argentine star was knocked off his feet.

Messi was unharmed and quickly got back on his feet, visibly frustrated by the disruption.

The match was already delayed by an hour due to a dispute over the teams' kits. Unable to resolve the issue, both teams took to the field wearing black jerseys.

Messi scored the winning goal for Inter Miami from the penalty spot in the 70th minute after entering the match as a second-half substitute.

Fellow Argentine Santi Morales had opened the scoring for Inter Miami in the 16th minute, before Ecuador's Patrick Mercado equalized seven minutes later.

The match was originally scheduled for February 13 but was postponed due to an injury to Messi.

Approximately 20,000 fans in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, greeted Messi with a standing ovation upon his entrance to the match.

Messi is expected to represent Argentina at the upcoming World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada this summer, although he has not officially confirmed his participation.