Wherever Messi goes, pitch invaders and chaos tend to followplayTrailer – Messi: The Forgotten Tape (1:09)Before a young Lionel Messi had ever played for Argentina, Spain tried to get him to represent them instead. Stream “Messi: The Forgotten Tape” on ESPN+. (1:09)Lizzy BecheranoMay 19, 2026, 07:28 AM ETMultiple Authors
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Lionel Messi is no stranger to the extreme fanfare that surrounds him when visiting a new city, as hundreds of fans stalk the team bus and hotel to catch a glimpse of one of the game’s greatest players. Supporters sell out stadiums to watch Messi play live after years of following his career through a television screen.
His first-ever trip to Puerto Rico to face Independiente del Valle with Inter Miami in a preseason friendly in February brought the usual level of hype — but what happened in the last moments of the second half ended up going viral.
Several fans broke through the security perimeter to invade the field in an attempt to reach Messi, though only one was able to get a hold of him. Messi initially stood motionless as the fan hugged him, before security reached the invader. In the heat of the moment, the security guard tackled the invader and subsequently brought down Messi as the fan refused to let go.
Messi got up and walked away from the scene, showing no obvious sense of alarm or emotion. The incident spread rapidly across social media, leaving some viewers questioning how Messi remained so calm throughout the entire situation. But for Messi, pitch invaders running onto the field during games, hoping to get a hug or a selfie with the star, have long been a routine occurrence.
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Lionel Messi tackled to the ground by fans in Puerto Rico friendly
Lionel Messi was tackled by over-excited fans in the latter stages of Inter Miami’s friendly in Puerto Rico vs. Independiente del Valle.
“Generally they are very nice signs of affection and for someone to do something like that with all that it means, and so crazy and what they do knowing what can happen to them later,” Messi mentioned in an interview with Diario Ole conducted in Spanish in 2022. “Apart from that, you don’t know what to do, how is the security going to act? Sometimes they come aggressive, and it’s not needed. But yes, they are uncomfortable moments for everyone.”
Since the game in Puerto Rico, Inter Miami have experienced a steady stream of more pitch invasions. Fans interrupted Messi’s inaugural visit to Colorado when facing the Rapids at Empower Field last month, before a second individual broke through the security barrier at America First Field in the game against Real Salt Lake just days later.
Four fans were reportedly arrested on charges of trespassing after breaching security at BMO Field when Inter Miami played Toronto FC earlier this month.
For Messi, such incidents may have become routine, but for teams hosting Messi, it presents an unusual challenge. Teams have to prepare for months ahead of Messi’s arrival, and venues where Messi has not played before pose a particular threat for pitch invaders.
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Real Salt Lake president John Kimball mentioned the planning process for hosting Inter Miami differs from that of welcoming any other team to America First Field. He began conversations with Major League Soccer and Inter Miami eight months prior to their visit to begin coordinating special security measures and logistics.
“This was the first time Inter Miami has ever played in Utah and obviously the Messi factor was something that we were aware of,” Kimball told ESPN. “It really boils down to obviously the caliber of players that they have on their team…
“We knew that anywhere Messi would go, there would be a crowd that would want to find out where he was and, and do anything they could to get a picture or an autograph or anything they could. So, we just wanted to be prepared for that.”
The team went so far as to cancel all season-long credentials for any employee with access to the stadium, issuing instead a one-game pass to those specifically working the Inter Miami match so they would be able to monitor access. RSL limited the access of any off-duty employees to avoid a potential breach in security.
In addition to increased game-day staff, the RSL operations team also thought of putting up a barrier in the tunnel from the visiting locker room to the field so Inter Miami players could walk through without being approached.
“[We did it] just so it didn’t create or give anybody the opportunity to create an issue,” Kimball mentioned.
The Colorado Rapids adopted similar measures. A Rapids spokesperson validated to ESPN that the team hosted onsite walk-throughs with all stakeholders, increased security staffing for critical areas like the stadium’s back of house and field, and added the placement of physical barriers in critical areas to support security checkpoints and access.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami players have become accustomed to fans charging onto the field to meet Messi, like this instance last season at Chase Stadium. Leonardo Fernandez/Getty ImagesThere are also MLS-wide consequences put in place should a pitch invasion occur. The league’s rules strictly prohibit “entering or attempting to enter the field, the field track, the tunnel, or any other location other than that permitted by the fan’s ticket.” Violating the code of conduct can result in “ejection without a refund and loss of ticket privileges for future games.”In the case of Real Salt Lake, the fans who invaded the pitch will be banned from the stadium.”Generally for those fans, they’ll be banned sometimes for life from the building because we’re very clear about our rules and protocols,” Kimball mentioned. “We want people to understand that there will be a consequence to somebody breaking those rules. We’re pretty harsh about it just because we want to send a message that it’s not acceptable.”We would never want our players or opposing players to be put in any kind of danger. Generally those fans have no ill will, it’s just a glamour moment. But we also want the consequences to be known so that if somebody makes that choice, they’re making a choice to not be invited back to the building.”The legal consequences, however, vary by state. In Florida, under law HB1447, fans can be charged with a misdemeanor of the first degree or a felony of the third degree for trespassing during a sporting event. Section 871.05 titled “interference with a sporting and entertainment event” explains that a misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $2,500, while a felony of the third degree can include a fine of up to $5,000 and being taken into custody.If a minor invades the pitch, then the parents of the child are charged. Each case varies depending on the situation and criminal background of the individual.play2:47Messi’s India tour descends into chaos as fans invade pitch and throw chairsAngry fans disrupt Lionel Messi’s first day in India on his “GOAT” tour.But the heightened security measures and legal consequences aren’t enough to discourage some fans from chasing the high of interacting with Messi on the field. One way or another, Messi’s teammates have to tolerate the circus that surrounds the club when traveling to away games.Inter Miami defender Facundo Mura, who joined the team in January 2026, was exposed to the chaos immediately. Mura was on the field when fans invaded the pitch in Colorado and Utah. He also watched the incident in Puerto Rico from the bench.
“I slowly began learning how everything works [when traveling with Inter Miami],” Mura mentioned in Spanish. “I slowly began learning what Inter Miami meant to people, not just in the United States but internationally like we lived in Puerto Rico at the start of the year. The impact is huge.”
Mateo Silvetti, who joined in August 2025, has already learned to become immune to fans invading the pitch like Messi is.
“Being Argentine I think I’m also accustomed to seeing [pitch invaders] all my life and seeing it happen,” Silvetti mentioned to ESPN in Spanish. “Being so close to it now, it’s not surprising because Messi creates the [same feeling] in you that he creates for those fans who run onto the pitch. You understand it because of the admiration we have for him. It’s an honor to be by his side.”
The reality is that the chaos surrounding Messi will not fade any time soon, especially as Inter Miami continue to travel across the globe to bring him closer to fans in new cities. For now, teams can only continue to prepare accordingly when welcoming Messi to their cities while his teammates grow accustomed to the madness that comes along with signing an Inter Miami contract.
Next season will likely see Inter Miami schedule a new global preseason tour, bringing Messi to new cities and, in all likelihood, new pitch invaders.
