Messi superfan runs onto pitch to hug striker as security guards give chase

A football fan ran onto the pitch to hug Lionel Messi before being tackled by security.

The youngster, wearing an Argentina jersey, hugged his hero then ran around the field during a friendly match between Argentina and Australia in Beijing, on Thursday, 15 June.

Footage shows the fan falling to the ground before a group of security guards carry him off the field as the crowd cheers.

According to police, he has been banned from football stadiums for the next 12 months.