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| Messi with his bodyguard Yassin Chueko Yassin's | Photo: Instagram handle |
Yassine Chueko? The name is familiar by now. That is why his current identity was not given at the beginning of the article. After he became Messi's bodyguard in 2023, he went viral. That's when the search for him started, and thanks to the media, many people should have known about him by now.
However, if anyone is unaware, Chueko's identity can be re-introduced. Chueko, 35, is American. Born to an American father and a French mother, Chueko is 5 feet 10 inches tall.
He posted the video on his Instagram handle. Yassine Chueko quickly did a few chest presses with two dumbbells in his bare hands. Then, as he stood up and held the dumbbells high with both hands, he received several blows to the stomach. His trainer was punching him in the stomach with his right hand, wearing boxing gloves. Chueko probably couldn't be satisfied. He made a 'no' face with big eyes several times, explaining that he wouldn't have it!
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| Chueko is Ironman to Messi and his family | Photo: Inter Miami X Handle |
The trainer understood what to do. A little further into the room, there was another exercise object. It looked like a long stick, with some other accessories attached to it. The trainer took off his gloves and picked up the stick-like object. By then, Chueko had stood up again with a few chest presses and was holding the dumbbells high. The trainer started hitting his stomach hard with the stick-like object.
With the first blow, something attached to the head of the stick came loose. After a few blows, Chueko took a few more with his chest don. Then the same scene repeated itself. As soon as Chueko stood up with dumbbells in both hands, the trainer started hitting him in the stomach with the stick-like object again.
This time even harder. As usual, Chueko was making 'ah, ah' sounds in his mouth, but this time one scene changed. As Chueko stood up with his stomach tight, the stick-like object bent quite a bit!
Lionel Messi's bodyguard revealed one of his work outs and it's insane pic.twitter.com/8t5vszOK6c
— Pubity (@pubity) January 17, 2025
In the next scene of the video, Chueko is seen boxing with the trainer. He was just punching and the trainer was blocking. The next exercise was even more difficult. Chueko was in a cross-legged position holding a rod-like stick in both hands. Unless you are very fit, lying down like that with a stick is impossible, but Chueko put up an incredible endurance test.
While he was lying down like that, the trainer was hitting him hard on the stomach with a large vehicle tire. This exercise was taking place on the beach. Chueko also fought a little judo with the trainer in the same place.
However, The media had previously reported that former mixed martial artist Chueko is also a former Navy SEAL in the US military, having served in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, Mail Online objected to one piece of information. That is, none of the current members of the Navy SEALs have heard of him and the Mail Online claimed that Chueko's name is not in the Navy SEAL database.
Yassine Cheuko aprovecha que Messi está abocado a la Copa América y entrena... ¡DE ESTA IMPRESIONANTE MANERA! 🤯
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) June 25, 2024
¿Te acercarías a la Pulga? 👀 pic.twitter.com/VN3uXjXlFH
However, nothing special is known about the personal life of Messi's bodyguard. He occasionally posts various videos and pictures with his brothers on his Instagram account. He also gives advice on bodybuilding on social media. He is also skilled in taekwondo and boxing.
US media previously reported that the recommendation to hire Chueko as Messi's bodyguard came from David Beckham, co-owner of his club Inter Miami. Chueko has a team of 50 people to ensure the safety of Messi and his family on and off the field. Chueko has to ensure the safety of Messi and his family 24 hours a day, day and night.
Chueko is quite wealthy. The media claims that he has a fortune of $150 million. His annual salary as Messi's bodyguard is estimated at $250,000. Most of the salary is paid by Miami, and the rest is paid by MLS sponsors.
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| Yassine Chueko | Photo: Yasin's Instagram handle |
Wherever Messi goes, Chueko sticks to him like glue. He is there before and after matches and has even been seen clinging to Messi in shopping malls. If a fan wants to run up to Messi on the field, he has to pass a test to get past Chueko, which they often fail. Chueko has previously worked as a security guard for Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Selena Gomez, and Owen Wilson.
Chueko has also worked as an additional security guard for members of the British royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they visited Los Angeles.
In August last year, Chueco posted a video on his Instagram account. In it, he can be seen fighting with trainer Luan Aguirre Elias in practice and breaking the wall while kicking. It is understood that Chueco has to train very hard to achieve these physical abilities, a couple of examples of which are given at the beginning. Apart from this, not much is known about Chueco's personal life.
In the words of 'The Athletic', Messi's bodyguard is actually a 'mysterious man' - even the stadium audience calls him an 'enigma'.