Lionel Messi knocked down by pitch invaderAFP, MIAMILionel Messi was knocked to the ground as fans invaded the pitch during chaotic scenes at a match in Puerto Rico on Thursday. Messi was playing for Inter Miami in a friendly against Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle when supporters raced onto the field in the game’s 88th minute. A pitch invader, front, second left, grabs Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi at the end of their international friendly soccer match against Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico on Thursday. Messi, who came on as a substitute at the start of the second half, scored the winning goal in the 70th minute. The friendly was originally scheduled for Feb. 13, but was postponed due to a Messi injury.

Source: Taipei Times February 28, 2026 18:00 UTC