The Argentine's trusted muscle was involved in a postgame incident after a win over Atlas

• Messi's bodyguard suspended
• Stems from incident against Atlas
• Had previously been moved away from Miami sidelines in MLS

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lionel Messi's bodyguard has reportedly been suspended for the remainder of the Leagues Cup after an incident during Inter Miami's tournament-opener against Atlas.

  The Leagues Cup disciplinary committee has announced that a member of Inter Miami's club delegation has been suspended from technical areas for the remainder of the tournament. According to ESPN, the person suspended is Yassine Cheuko, Messi's longtime bodyguard.

  Cheuko was seen entering the pitch after Wednesday's match to break up a coming-together between the two teams. The incident was addressed postgame by Atlas' Matehus Doria.

  "I understand that Messi's bodyguard is there to protect Messi from a possible entry by a fan, I don't know, but between players, he doesn't have that permission," Doria said. 

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• WHAT LEAGUES CUP CUP

  The Leagues Cup disciplinary committee explained the reasoning behind the decision. 

  "After the July 30 Inter Miami CF vs. Club Atlas match, a member of Inter Miami's club delegation displayed improper conduct by entering restricted areas without an official event credential," it said. "In accordance with the Leagues Cup 2025 Tournament Regulations, the Disciplinary Committee has suspended the individual involved from all technical areas for the remainder of Leagues Cup 2025 and issued an undisclosed fine to Inter Miami CF."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since Messi's arrival in Miami, Cheuko has become something of a celebrity in his own right. The bodyguard has worked with Messi since his time at Paris Saint-Germain, establishing himself as part of the Argentine's inner circle. His work alongside Messi hasn't been without controversy, though, as Cheuko revealed in April that he was banned from the sidelines at Inter Miami matches.

  "They don't allow me to be on the field anymore," the bodyguard said in an interview with House of Highlights. "I was in Europe for seven years, working for Ligue 1 and the Champions League, and only six people invaded the pitch. I came to the USA, and in just 20 months, 16 people have already done so. There's a huge problem here. I'm not the problem. Let me help Messi."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  Following Saturday's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, Miami will look ahead to their third and final group match against Pumas. It might come without Messi, though, as the star Argentine suffered an injury early into Saturday's game.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News