It was by a young Chinese pitch invader, eager to meet his hero, the seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or. Videos that have gone viral on Chinese social media show the young fan leaping from the stands before sprinting toward the Argentine striker – who like him was wearing the number 10 jersey – and giving him a hug. A Chinese fan runs onto the pitch to hug soccer superstar Lionel Messi during a friendly match between Argentina and Australia at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on June 15. Ng Han Guan/APWith the crowd cheering three security guards then give chase, the first of them falling over as the young fan evades his grasp. On Chinese social media, many users – football fans or otherwise – celebrated the young fan’s sprint across the grass pitch as a liberating moment.

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Persons: Lionel Messi –, –, Messi, Lionel Messi, Ng Han Guan, Emiliano Martinez, ”, Thomas Peter, ” “ Messi, I’m, flailing, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN, Australia, Argentine, Workers, Global Times, Messi, Reuters, FIFA, De Football Association, Indonesia Locations: Beijing, Argentina, Australia, China, Jakarta