Fortune football star Lionel Messi's bodyguard is paid to follow him around on the pitch every game

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Anyone who has watched an Inter Miami match since last summer will have noticed a buff bloke following one of the players around the pitch.

When Lionel Messi made the move to the US team in 2023, boss David Beckham made sure the star would be well looked after.

And that included bringing a bodyguard in to protect the Argentine on match days. The man given the role of keeping an eye on the ‘GOAT’ is Yassine Chueko - and he’s reportedly paid a fortune to do it.

Videos often go viral on social media as the reported former Navy SEAL follows Messi from the sidelines of the pitch. With a background also in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), there’s no doubt Chueko can protect the footballer physically.

It’s rumoured there’s a team of about 50 employed specifically to keep an eye on the footballer but Chueko’s the one who's typically right by his side.

According to The Sun, the bodyguard gets an annual wage of about £198,000. However, that could apparently be closer to a whopping £3 million in total.

Plus, he might be making himself a pretty penny elsewhere.

Chueko was previously offered a role being a Martial Arts Ambassador for My.Club and while it’s not been confirmed if he’s decided to take that on, the offer is reportedly worth about £40,000.

The X-rated site posted a letter from the company’s vice president, Mike Ford, onto its official website to Chueko.

My.Club hoped the bloke would share his combat skills and post videos flexing his mega muscles, as well as more of an insight into protecting Messi.

"You’ve become quite the sensation serving as Lionel Messi’s bodyguard," Ford wrote.

"More recently, you’ve gone viral while protecting him - basically man-marking him - during Inter Miami games. The videos of you sprinting up and down the touchline have millions of views and people have started to thirst over you.”

He added: “Many users would love to watch you working out and showcasing your broad-shouldered, big-chested, chiseled body.”

OK, a little creepy. And it seems Chueko has been kept busy enough at Inter Miami as it’s not just his rapid responses to running over to Messi on the pitch after the full-time whistle that’s gone viral but also that one time with a young fan.

While he looks pretty big and scary, Chueko dealt with it like a pro as he let the young pitch invader have a photo with Messi before leading him back to the stands.