The man running onto the pitch is Yassine Cheuko, Lionel Messi’s personal bodyguard in Miami. He’s on hand to protect the star at all times.

When Messi joined Inter Miami, Cheuko was hired by the MLS club’s co-owner, David Beckham, who wanted the player to have 24/7 protection.

Cheuko heads up a group of 50 people who look out for Messi and his  family in Florida, and has become a constant presence by their side.

Cheuko doesn’t let anyone lay a finger on Messi. He discreetly sticks to  the World Cup winner, with whom he has established a secret code.

Even during Miami games, he prowls the touchline, following Messi up  and down the pitch. He’s ready to step in if anything untoward occurs.

Cheuko’s past remains unclear.  There is an unconfirmed rumour that he is a former US Marine who  served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As can be seen in Cheuko’s posts on social media, he’s a martial arts  expert: he boxes, does taekwondo and has competed in MMA bouts.

According to reports in the US  media, Cheuko is paid a salary of  over $2 million a year for leading Messi’s protection team in Miami.

Since he took on the role, his ‘man-marking’ jobs on Messi have become the stuff of legend, with numerous videos going viral on social media.

Indeed, he has attracted so much attention that he has amassed 350,000 followers on Instagram, and has brought out his own clothing line.