- He was personally chosen by David Beckham when Messi arrived last year
- The trained MMA fighter was spotted ahead of one of the friendlies in Miami
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Yassine Chueko – Lionel Messi’s bodyguard – has shown off his insanely ripped body on Instagram as the ex-Navy SEAL prepares to protect the Inter Miami star again this MLS season after going viral for his skills last year.
The trained MMA fighter, who was personally chosen by Inter Miami president David Beckham when the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner arrived in the US last summer, has attracted a lot of media attention in recent months.
He was spotted with Messi when the Argentina star relaxed publicly with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo in South Florida last October.
But a few weeks earlier he prevented a young fan from getting Messi’s autograph after a defeat to Cincinnati. Chueko stopped the young boy as he walked onto the pitch, put his arm around him and led him to Messi, who posed for a photo and signed an autograph.
For Halloween, Inter Miami forward Robert Taylor hilariously dressed up as a bodyguard and completed his costume with fake muscles and a bald cap.
Yassine Chueko showed off his ripped physique at a pool in Miami, Florida on Monday afternoon
The trained MMA fighter and former Navy SEAL was spotted with Messi ahead of Inter Miami’s match against El Salvador in January
On Instagram, Yassine has 302,000 followers and once posted a photo of himself meeting ex-MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov
Yassine was also seen posing for a photo with Messi on a private jet returning to Miami from Paris after the 36-year-old Argentine won his record eighth Ballon d’Or.
In November, Yassine made headlines again when fans were stunned by a video of him suddenly appearing out of nowhere and behind Messi as Miami’s number 10 greeted children who wanted to take pictures with him.
Yassine was recently spotted protecting Messi on his return to pre-season for the Herons in a match against El Salvador in January after the three-time Champions League winner suffered an adductor injury.
Yassine has 302,000 followers on Instagram, but Messi is not one of them.
He regularly posts sparring videos and even once met former MMA artist Khabib Nurmagomedov.