Lionel Messi‘s star power extends far beyond the soccer pitch, yet recent events have thrown him into a different kind of spotlight. His bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko, has challenged YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul to a fight. At the center of this standoff is more than just personal pride. It’s about two competing drinks, two global icons, and a lawsuit that could shape reputations.
Messi’s Mas+ sports drink launched in 2024, two years after Paul introduced Prime. That set off a flurry of accusations. Both sides claim the other’s brand packaging and designs are too close for comfort. They’ve been locked in a legal dispute since last year, with each side arguing unfair competition. Amid the legal wrangling, Paul fired a provocative shot. He said he’d consider dropping the lawsuit if Messi agreed to settle the matter in the boxing ring.
A brewing rivalry over drinks and pride
Messi, by all accounts, hasn’t responded publicly. Cheuko, his longtime bodyguard, took matters into his own hands. “Let’s do the fight for the people. Let’s do it,” he said in a video, making it clear he was ready to stand in for Messi. Within days, Paul brushed aside the idea that Cheuko was a worthy opponent, but still offered one condition: “It’s like, bro, I’m here in Puerto Rico. If you want to pull up on me in Puerto Rico, you’re more than welcome, bro. When I beat your ass, and it’s a big when, not if, you’ve got to drink Prime.”
Cheuko’s background includes work as a security chief for Inter Miami, where Messi now plays, and rumors of a serious fighting pedigree. Even so, Paul sees little to fear. He warned it would reflect poorly on Messi if his bodyguard lost to a “YouTuber.” He went so far as to say, “He’s going to lose this lawsuit, he’s probably going to lose his bodyguard, because why would you hire a bodyguard if he gets beat up by a YouTuber?”
Neither side has confirmed the date or location of any fight, though fans on social media have run wild with speculation. Paul, with a history that includes fights against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Dillon Danis, is no stranger to the boxing spotlight. Cheuko, however, remains an enigma, riding a wave of curiosity fueled by his association with the world’s most famous soccer player.
Messi, for now, is sticking to the game he knows best. His focus seems to be on adding to his already legendary career in the United States. Whether he remains silent or eventually steps in to address Paul, the feud between Prime and Mas+ isn’t going anywhere soon. The court battle continues, and fans are left wondering if this will be resolved by a judge’s gavel, or by a pair of boxing gloves under bright lights in Puerto Rico.
