Rumors have spread around about the real identity of the bodyguard of Inter Milan star Lionel Messi, who in the past month has been turning into a rockstar himself in America like his client.
Yassine Cheuko, believed to be around 35 years old, has attracted significant clout in social media ever since coming with the Argentine superstar to Major League Soccer. He is always spotted standing next to Messi and keeping up with the player, even on the field.
His built and tough demeanor aroused the attention of many Americans and social media users; what came with it were speculations about his real identity.
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Some even went as far as building Cheuko a profile comparable to a movie character's.
Who is he, really?
The Athletic ran an investigative article on Cheuko's background, and the public got a lot of things wrong about the bodyguard.
What's true and false about Messi's personal guard
One claim about Cheuko is that he was part of the American Navy SEAL and has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rating: False
Records of American military members are available to the public. Citing Don Shipley, a former SEAL, The Athletic found out that Cheuko has no records at all in the American military.
Another claim about Cheuko is that he is an MMA fighter, which many also believe is a requirement in being a bodyguard to defend Messi against field stormers.
Rating: True in a way
Cheuko has an Instagram account with videos of him training with MMA fighters. His trainer, Luis Aguirre Elias, spoke to The Athletic and revealed that they first met in Thailand.
However, he clarified that Messi's bodyguard is hardly a pro.
"He doesn't have much professional experience but his technique and balance is excellent," Elias said.
"I'm training him to improve those things even more, and also to put in a bit of my style, as well. We've also worked on his grappling, as well - he's also very good at grappling."
Another tidbit about Messi's guard is that he has been with the player since his PSG days and reportedly earns $3 million annually, which is unconfirmed.
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