Lionel Messi Brightens a Fan’s Evening as Inter Miami Fails to Secure a Win Over Colorado Rapids

Adversity has become the way of life for Inter Miami. Moments ago, the Herons were held 2-2 by Colorado at the Chase Stadium during their MLS fixture. Even though the main highlight of the match was to see Lionel Messi return to action after a 2-week exile, the moment was outshined by La Pulga making a day of a fan. 

During the injury time, as both sides were tussling to find a winner, a young girl managed to run past security guards in order to get a selfie with Messi. The 36-year-old, who already had the pressure to turn the game around, did nothing but let the girl take the photo with her as he stood still. While she was successful in her attempt, the young fan was escorted by a group of security officers. The match had to be halted for a minute until the fan was taken off the pitch. 

What comes as a surprise is the fact that the girl even managed to escape the eagle eyes of Messi’s renowned bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko. The former U.S. Navy SEAL always remains vigilant near the sidelines, but today he fell short in his service. Either way, it comes down as another crazy fan experience for Messi, who has often encountered fans in such a way during the match.

However, a little of frustration might surround them that the incident transpired while he was focused on restoring Inter Miami’s win. In fact, the discontent would have doubled after the match ended, with Miami failing to secure crucial three points.

45 minutes weren’t enough for Lionel Messi to save Inter Miami

Inter Miami were 0-1 down after Colorado was awarded a penalty just before halftime, with Rafael Navarro successfully tucking in the ball from the spot. This forced Tata Martino to deploy Lionel Messi, who replaced Lawson Sunderland. Luckily, bringing the skipper did the trick, as the 8x Ballon d’Or winner fired an equalizer in the 57th minute. Three minutes later, the lead doubled with Leonardo Afonso’s strike provided by David Ruiz.

Unfortunately, Colorado wasn’t giving up on the idea of going home empty-handed, as Cole Bassett found an equalizer in the 88th minute. Despite pulling all the strings, both Messi and Miami couldn’t turn around the scoreline, forcing them to compromise on splitting points with the Rapids. The result keeps them third in the MLS table with 12 points. It further increases pressure on Tata Martino and the team to get back on the winning track.

Nevertheless, let’s hope that with Lionel Messi’s return from injury, Inter Miami can bounce back in the next fixtures. Until then, the only positive takeaway from the match remains the fan encounter.

READ MORE: Monterrey Files Complaint Against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Following Heated Exchange Between the Argentine and Rival Manager- Reports