Lionel Messi faces surprise setback ahead of Leagues Cup showdowns

Lionel Messi will be without his personal bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko, for the remainder of the Leagues Cup after tournament officials handed down a suspension stemming from an incident following Inter Miami’s match against Atlas.

Why has Messi’s bodyguard been suspended?

The confrontation took place Wednesday night at Chase Stadium, where video posted to social media shows Cheuko — a former MMA fighter and well-known figure in Messi’s inner circle — shoving Atlas players after Miami’s victory. The clip quickly went viral, prompting an official review by the Leagues Cup disciplinary committee.

In a statement, tournament organizers confirmed that Cheuko is banned from all remaining Leagues Cup matches and prohibited from entering the field or technical areas for the rest of the tournament.

Inter Miami hit with fine

The Leagues Cup also fined Inter Miami for allowing Cheuko into restricted areas — in this case, the playing field — without proper accreditation. The exact amount of the fine was not disclosed.

“Following the July 30 match between Inter Miami CF and Club Atlas, a member of the Inter Miami delegation displayed inappropriate conduct by entering restricted areas without official event credentials,” the statement read. “In accordance with the 2025 Leagues Cup regulations, the disciplinary committee has suspended the individual from all technical areas for the remainder of the tournament and issued an undisclosed fine to Inter Miami.”