Are you watching, Messi? Ronaldinho’s legends game in Florida ends in pitch invasion chaos

If Lionel Messi is questioning what consideration his imminent arrival at Inter Miami CF in MLS will appeal to from Florida followers, occasions in Orlando on Friday will give him some concept.

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Ronaldinho’s star-studded charity match in Florida ended amid chaotic scenes as a weather-induced early finish to the sport sparked a mass pitch invasion from followers within the crowd.

The 43-year-old Brazil legend welcomed a plethora of footballing faces and movie star all-stars to participate in “The Lovely Sport” on the Exploria Stadium, with Staff Ronaldinho (R10) squaring off towards Staff Roberto Carlos (RC3) on the house of MLS facet Orlando City.

The 2 captains had been joined by ex-international teammates resembling Cafu and Rivaldo, in addition to different former stars together with Juan Veron, Javier Mascherano and Patrick Kluivert and present execs resembling Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, Paulo Dybala and Joao Felix — with a smattering of well-known musicians, influencers and social media personalities thrown in for good measure.

Given the impressive depth of the rostersit is maybe superb that there was nonetheless room for a headline act, however high of the invoice was undoubtedly the looks of Ronaldo Nazario — the unique R9 — on the bench for Staff R10.

The inaugural edition of “The Beautiful Game” was staged last summer in Miami when Staff RC3 narrowly edged out Staff R10 in a wildly enthralling 22-goal thriller.

Certainly, it seemed like followers had been set to witness one other absurdly excessive scoreline when Cafu hit the crossbar with simply minutes performed earlier than Jay-Jay Okocha opened the scoring for Team R10bamboozling the defence with some trademark footwork earlier than poking a end previous Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita.

After an equaliser for Staff RC3 from the evergreen Rivaldo, targets began to fly in for each side as Kluivert, Vinicius (twice), Cafu and Lucas Moura all discovered the web to ship Staff R10 in on the break with a 4-2 lead. The decide of the bunch could effectively have been Vinicius’ casually impudent lob over the goalkeeper from close range.

Real Madrid star Vinicius then swapped groups at half-time and continued to dazzle the crowd as he opened up his box of tricks.

😱 Everybody needs a photograph! The group invades the sector after a torrential rain in Orlando ☔

Watch The Lovely Sport: Staff Ronaldinho vs. Staff Roberto Carlos reside on beIN SPORTS 📺 pic.twitter.com/ynVEe9fQ97

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) June 24, 2023

Nonetheless, the hour mark introduced with it a tropical downpour, and because the heavy rain slowed the momentum, the feverish environment took a flip as a procession of younger followers started to interrupt the sport by working onto the pitch looking for a selfie with a number of of their footballing idols.

Ronaldinho’s substitution within the 58th minute sparked a contemporary wave of encroachment from the stands. As dozens of supporters continued to breach the perimeter of the enjoying space and flock across the gamers, the safety group determined to postpone the match due to “adversarial climate situations” because the gamers and officers had been hurriedly ushered from the pitch. Roughly quarter-hour later, the sport was deserted solely.

Inter Miami proprietor Jorge Mas spoke earlier this week concerning the membership’s preparations for Messi’s arrival, which embody work on rising the capability of their stadium to 22,000 by including roughly 3,000 seats.

Safety for gamers shall be enhanced each for house and away video games involving Messi, the first of which is scheduled to be on July 21 in a Leagues Cup match towards Liga MX‘s Blue Cross.

With Messi no stranger to followers working onto the sector brandishing their telephones within the hope of an image with him, safety at whichever matches he performs shall be saved on their toes.