Lionel Messi has become a headline magnet in the U.S. after making a transfer to Inter Miami and since making his first appearance on the pitch for the MLS club, everything the Argentine has touched has turned into gold, even his bodyguard.
So, who is Messi bodyguard Yassine Cheuko and how much does he make? We did some investigating to find out.
If you’ve kept up with all things Messi since he arrived in Miami in 2023, you’ve seen the utter chaos the World Cup champion has caused every place he’s stepped foot. In a grocery store with his family, in the back alley exit of a restaurant, in the stadiums of every city Miami plays in, in every street — you get the picture. Where Messi goes, people arrive.
| Fans gather to get a video of Leo Messi yesterday at Cote Miami Restaurant... pic.twitter.com/tobWErFwEt
— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) August 28, 2023
Imagine driving and Messi just casually drive past you❤️pic.twitter.com/3HhCnbgqPl
— Abja (@AbjaFCB) March 22, 2023
Messi will have people surrounding him, asking for a picture and autograph everywhere he goes around the country. It’s what rockstars have to deal with. However, even when the former Barcelona player has yet to show displeasure of the attention from fans, Inter Miami and David Beckham found the perfect solution to protect their golden player when he’s off the pitch (and even on it). A personal and exclusive bodyguard.
Who is Yassine Cheuko, Lionel Messi’s viral bodyguard?
Yassine Cheuko, who is widely known for being Messi’s Inter Miami bodyguard, is a man that has attracted a lot of interest amongst fans that are constantly seeing him closely follow and make sure the Argentine is protected at all times.
From what we’ve seen in every match and on social media, Cheuko’s job entails running and walking around the perimeter of the soccer field and alongside wherever Messi is standing on the pitch — making it easier to stop any pitch invader looking to snatch a picture with the Miami No. 10.
Some of the clips of Cheuko following Messi before, during and after matches went viral in August and the most recent video of him chasing and choking a fan in the LAFC vs. Inter Miami game in Los Angeles showed just how seriously he takes his job.
Messi bodyguard is insane
— Janty (@CFC_Janty) September 4, 2023
Messi’s bodyguard was ready pic.twitter.com/0aDUM5azGE
— 433 (@433) September 5, 2023
Cheuko has also been seen protecting the Argentine when he’s in public and spending time with his family.
However, with many of these videos quickly gaining attention across all social media, fans have also become curious about Cheuko’s past and former career — information that is still to this day, not completely disclosed.
When it became known that Cheuko was Lionel Messi’s bodyguard, multiple media outlets reported that he was a former U.S. Navy Seal who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Despite these initial reports, it was now exclusively reported by The Daily Mail that Cheuko is not, in fact, a veteran of the U.S. military. According to current and former members of the elite unit that got in contact with the website, Yassine Cheuko did not appear in the SEAL database and “no one had ever heard of him” prior to his rise to fame protecting the Inter Miami player.
Amidst the uncertainty, Cheuko, Inter Miami and David Beckham’s representatives were all asked for more information on the bodyguard’s past but failed to respond to requests for a comment on these rumors.
So, if Cheuko isn’t a former Navy SEAL, what is he?
Well, the only information about the bodyguard that we have access to regarding his past is his Instagram account — an account with almost 200,000 followers filled with photos and videos of him practicing mixed martial arts.
From what he’s shown online, he’s participated in multiple professional MMA fights in the past, some of which show that he’s actually quite good at the sport.
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When he's not fighting, Cheuko also shares photos of him posing and showing his muscular physique by the poolside and beach. He’s a machine.
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Former Navy SEAL or not, this man shows he’s had some sort of professional training that has, to this point, been enough to protect Messi on and off the pitch. A job that is reportedly worthy of a hefty compensation.
How much does Messi’s bodyguard Yassine Chueko earn?
Protecting one of the world’s best players everywhere he goes and being trusted to do so comes with a price and according to multiple reports, Cheuko is being paid his dues.
Although we are not entirely sure of how much the bodyguard makes per year, media outlets have reported that he has a yearly salary upwards of $250,000 with other outlets going as far as saying Cheuko is earning close to $3.5 million per year.
No price is enough to take care of the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner for Miami and Cheuko is making Beckham and the owner’s money’s worth.
