Did MLS Ban Messi Bodyguard

In short: yes, Major League Soccer (MLS) has banned Lionel Messi’s bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko, from certain areas—specifically the touchline during MLS matches—and he is also suspended.

What’s the background

When Lionel Messi signed for Inter Miami in mid-2023, his arrival came with unprecedented levels of attention—both fan excitement and security concerns. Yassine Cheuko, a former U.S. Navy SEAL turned private security professional, became well known for his vigil-like presence beside Messi: preventing pitch invaders, stepping in during crowd moments, and generally being Messi’s close protective figure at matches.

Cheuko’s role quickly drew both praise (for keeping Messi safe) and scrutiny. As incidents piled up, MLS and tournament organizers began limiting his access and enforcing stricter protocols.

What did MLS ban Cheuko from — details of the restrictions

SansBall breaks down what exactly happened and when:

Touchline ban in MLS regular matches

• In early April 2025, MLS prohibited Cheuko from being on the touchline during Inter Miami’s league games. He can no longer pace the sidelines to intercept fans or intervene in situations directly on the field boundary. Instead, he is restricted to mixed zones, locker rooms, and other non-field areas.

Leagues Cuppension

• On July 30, 2025, during the Inter Miami vs. Atlas match in the Leagues Cup, following a 2-1 win for Miami, Cheuko entered a restricted area without proper credentials and physically intervened in a post-match confrontation—pushing an Atlas player in the process. The disciplinary committee of Leagues Cup then suspended him from all technical areas for the remainder of the tournament and fined Inter Miami.

Why MLS and Leagues Cup imposed the ban

Several reasons led to these sanctions. Key among them:

1. Safety and protocol violation
2. Cheuko was found in restricted zones without official event credentials. Such restricted zones are meant to be accessed only by authorized personnel (players, coaches, officials, medical staff). Security protocols exist to ensure safety, prevent liability issues, and maintain clear control during heated moments.
3. Preventing overreach in confrontations between players
4. While protecting Messi, intervening in player-to-player or team confrontations crosses into territory normally handled by players, coaching staff, referees, or event security. Atlas defender Matheus Doria explicitly said that Cheuko has no right to intervene in “between players” situations.
5. Uniformity of security procedures
6. League organizers want consistency: match-day security staff, stewards, and league rules are supposed to cover safety across all venues. Individual security detail acting outside approved capacity can cause confusion, liability problems, or conflicts with existing event operations. MLS emphasized that its security guard protocols had not changed and that all teams have designated security staff to cover these responsibilities.

What the ban means in practice

Here are implications of the touchline ban in MLS and the Leagues Cup suspension:

• Cheuko cannot be present on the touchline during MLS matches. That means no visible roaming alongside Messi near the benches or near the field perimeter. He’s relegated to less visible roles (locker room, mixed zones).
• For the Leagues Cup, Cheuko is suspended, even in post-match situations in those zones. Inter Miami has been fined (undisclosed amount) for permitting impro.
• Cheuko remains employed by Inter Miami as a bodyguard/security detail in non-field-restricted zones; his job is not terminated—just restricted.

What this tells us: perspective and reaction

• Cheuko’s view: He’s expressed frustration, suggesting that pitch invasions in the U.S. have increased dramatically since Messi’s arrival. He claims that he was doing work that helps protect Messi, and that perhaps the reaction is more about optics than safety.
• MLS / League view: The decision is about consistent enforcement of matchday rules, ensuring security is handled by accredited and trained personnel. Allowing a private bodyguard to operate in official match-zones poses liability and procedural issues. The league says its protocols haven’t changed; the rules around credentials and restricted areas are established.
• Fan & media reaction: Mixed. Some people defend Cheuko, citing the high profile of Messi and the risk. Others believe no non-team staff should be crossing into the technical field area, especially in/surrounding match implementation of discipline and security. It also sparks debate over how MLS matches are run, how secure stadiums really are, especially with global superstars involved.

Answering the main question

So, to your question “did MLS ban Messi bodyguard”? The answer is yes, under two separate but related bans:

• MLS ban: Cheuko was banned.
• Leagues Cup ban: He is suspended.

Conclusion

Did MLS ban Messi bodyguard? Yes — Yassine Cheuko is banned from the touchline during MLS matches and suspended from technical areas in the 2025 Leagues Cup for misconduct after entering restricted zones and intervening in a post-match confrontation. The bans reflect league rules about credentials, restricted areas, and match security.

If you want, SansBall can also pull together a full timeline of every pitch invasion involving Cheuko, or compare how other leagues handle private security for top stars. Would you prefer that for more context?