A shirtless man embraces Messi right on the field.

An overly enthusiastic fan acted in a manner that was not favorable towards Lionel Messi in the friendly match between Inter Miami and Independiente del Valle.

Inter Miami concluded their 2026 friendly series with a comfortable victory at Independiente del Valle's stadium.. Besides the penalty kick goal scored by Lionel Messi with his characteristic calm demeanor, the match also featured a notable sideline incident.

In the 88th minute, the match was temporarily halted when a shirtless fan unexpectedly rushed onto the pitch, even inciting others to follow. Notably, while one fan was having a moment with Messi, the aforementioned shirtless man approached directly and suddenly hugged the Argentine superstar down to the grass.

This incident surprised Messi, but he remained composed, quickly getting up while security immediately intervened to restrain the overzealous fan. Afterwards, several more fans continued to storm the pitch, but Messi was closely protected and no one else could approach the Inter Miami captain.

After about two minutes of a rather "awkward and chaotic" interruption, order was restored and the referee allowed the match to continue.

Returning to the match proceedings, Independiente del Valle started confidently and applied early pressure through the speedy attacks of Patrick Mercado and Junior Sornoza. Young goalkeeper Miguel Peralta stood out with several crucial saves, helping the Ecuadorian team withstand the initial pressure. However, a mistake by Peralta allowed Inter Miami to open the scoring thanks to Santiago Morales. Just two minutes later, the home team equalized when Patrick Mercado capitalized on a precise pass from Matias Perello.

After the consecutive goals, Inter Miami gradually controlled the game, dominating the midfield with Luis Suarez orchestrating the play. Both teams continuously adjusted their tactics, resulting in an open and unpredictable match.

In the second half, Lionel Messi was substituted in and quickly made an impact. He helped Inter Miami's play become more coherent, before scoring the decisive goal from the penalty spot. Despite efforts to find an equalizer, Independiente del Valle could not break through Inter Miami's disciplined defense, and the latter team then managed the tempo to secure a 2-1 victory.