Argentina captain Lionel Messi was briefly wrestled to the ground by a pitch invader during Inter Miami CF’s friendly victory over Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico.

Messi, introduced at half-time, was approaching full-time when several fans ran onto the pitch in an attempt to get close to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. While Messi posed for a selfie with one supporter, another spectator suddenly grabbed the former FC Barcelona star around the waist, dragging him to the turf with two minutes of regulation time remaining.

Security personnel responded immediately, with Messi, the intruder and a steward briefly tangled on the ground before order was restored. The 36-year-old forward appeared unharmed and calmly walked away as additional security arrived.

Earlier, Messi had scored from the penalty spot to help Inter Miami secure a 2–1 win, with Santiago Morales netting the other goal for the MLS side.

The match had initially been scheduled for February 13 but was postponed after Messi suffered a hamstring issue.

Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, began their Major League Soccer campaign with a 3–0 loss to Los Angeles FC last weekend and will next travel to face state rivals Orlando City SC on Sunday.