Copa América Centenario’s security team has been letting fans go wild during this year’s tournament. From starting brawls, to kissing soccer players, to running into the field to praise their idol after an amazing free kick goal.
On Tuesday, one of Lionel Messi’s fans dodged the guards at the NRG stadium in Houston, Texas, and ran across the field to meet the Argentinian soccer star.
In a video shared on the different social media websites, the young man is seen walking up to Messi and kneeling at his feet minutes after scoring his first goal during the Argentina vs. United States semifinals match.
The Barcelona forward, who passed Gabriel Batistuta’s 54-goal tally with a 25-yard strike, immediately helped the admirer up and hugs him prior to signing his Argentina jersey.
“I am happy to have surpassed Batistuta’s record and I want to thank my teammates, it’s theirs as well,” said the 28-year-old footballer.
The fan, identified as Michael Soto, announced his plan on Twitter.
“The nerves are hitting me but I have to pull through,” he said 30 minutes before the match started.
Seventeen minutes into the game, he added, “It’s a lot harder than I expected.”
“When you meet the God of football,” Soto wrote at 10:42 p.m. after executing his plan successfully and stealing the spotlight at the beginning of the second half of the game.
Messi has a Guinness World Record for the most goals in a calendar year with 91 goals. He also has the all-time scoring record for Barcelona, 427 goals as of January 2016. He has won 26 trophies, the most in Spain’s football history.
Leo is also the first player to get five FIFA Ballon d’Or placements, three first places and two second places. He was the youngest player to score 200 goals in La Liga at 25 years old.
Messi is the second highest-paid athlete in the world according to Forbes.
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