On Chinese social media, many users – football fans or otherwise – celebrated the young fan’s sprint across the grass pitch as a liberating moment.įor some, his daring dash through security lines has become a symbol of freedom and youthful vitality in a society still reeling from the trauma of three years of Covid restrictions and feeling the squeeze of a slowing economy. It is only after the fan eventually trips up himself that security finally catch up to him and take him back to the stands, where he is greeted like a hero.įor many onlookers, the brief interlude was one of the most entertaining moments of an event that has drawn widespread interest across China since the 35-year-old Messi arrived in Beijing on Saturday. The fan then raises his hands as he outsprints the other two guards and high-fives Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. With the crowd cheering three security guards then give chase, the first of them falling over as the young fan evades his grasp. The clips show Messi, who appears initially shocked, stretching out his arms and hugging the fan back.Ī Chinese fan runs onto the pitch to hug soccer superstar Lionel Messi during a friendly match between Argentina and Australia at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on June 15. Videos that have gone viral on Chinese social media show the young fan leaping from the stands before sprinting toward the Argentine striker – who like him was wearing the number 10 jersey – and giving him a hug. It was by a young Chinese pitch invader, eager to meet his hero, the seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or. It was the sort of astonishing run the world has come to expect from those who don Argentina’s iconic number 10 soccer jersey.įrom the corner of the pitch, the fleet-footed figure evades one challenger and leaves two others trailing hopelessly in his wake as he sprints the length of half the pitch and high-fives his side’s goalkeeper, all to the adoring cheers of the crowd.īut this stunning display of athleticism on show during Argentina’s friendly match with Australia in Beijing on Thursday was not by Lionel Messi – though the man widely thought of as the world’s best player did his own fair share of crowd-pleasing by scoring his fastest ever goal, in just 79 seconds.
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