Lionel Messi is a modern-day soccer god, so it was only natural one devoted fan of the Argentinian star would want to pay his respects by any means necessary.
On Tuesday night, as Messi and Argentina were about to get underway with the second half of what would turn out to be a 4-0 victory over the United States in the Copa America Centenario semifinal, a fan made his way onto the field at NRG Stadium in Houston and ran across the pitch toward Messi, where he fell to his knees to pay his respects to a smiling Messi. Messi also embraced in a hug with the fan.
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While Messi took this incident all in stride, he and everyone else should feel fortunate this was purely an act of love and respect. Any time something like this happens, it must be pointed out this could have been a much more dangerous situation. How this fan got by security and was able to run across the width of the field to make physical contact with one of the top stars of the game is something that will have to be addressed in Houston, the site of Tuesday night’s semifinal match.
Messi and Argentina will be back on the field in Houston on Sunday to play for the Copa America Centenario championship. They will face either Columbia or Chile, which play each other on Wednesday. Argentina defeated Chile in the group stage of the tournament, 2-1.
