Who Is Yassine Cheuko? His Martial Arts Background and Journey To Becoming Lionel Messi Bodyguard

Yassine Cheuko has become one of the most recognisable faces around Lionel Messi without ever kicking a ball. As the Argentine's personal bodyguard since his time at Paris Saint-Germain, Cheuko has built a social media following of over one million people, largely through viral clips of him intervening whenever a fan gets too close to Messi during matches.

Yassine Cheuko's Background and Martial Arts Career

Cheuko grew up in a poor neighbourhood of Paris, France, born to a French mother and a Moroccan father. Details about his early life remain limited, but he trained in martial arts from a young age and went on to compete in mixed martial arts matches in countries including Thailand and Indonesia. Multiple outlets initially reported that Cheuko had served as a US Navy SEAL and fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, but those claims were investigated and debunked. Current and former members of the elite Navy unit told reporters they had never heard of him, and a Navy spokesperson confirmed no military records existed under his name. Despite that, the unverified military backstory continues to circulate across some outlets, alongside conflicting claims about his nationality, age and salary, none of which have been independently confirmed.

How He Became Lionel Messi's Bodyguard

Cheuko began working in security in France and was part of PSG's security detail, where he first started protecting Messi directly. When Messi signed for Inter Miami in July 2023, Cheuko relocated to the United States and continued in the role, becoming part of a wider security team employed by the club to protect Messi and his family. He has described his relationship with Messi as something closer to family than employment, telling House of Highlights that he works hard to protect Messi "not only physically but also psychologically, because he trusts me a lot and depends on me."

His most visible moments have come from physically removing pitch invaders, including during a 2023 match against LAFC. In March 2025, Cheuko revealed Inter Miami had stopped allowing him to stand pitchside during games, a decision later reported to have come directly from the club, though he remains part of Messi's broader protection team. He continues to train in martial arts and post fight footage online, and in 2025 publicly challenged YouTuber and boxer Logan Paul to a fight, a challenge that has not materialised into an actual bout.