I suspect the security guards at Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium might be sent to fitness training after this last night in the Australia-Argentina game. Amazing how long this Chinese fan — to huge cheers — was able to run around the pitch, hug Messi and almost finish another lap.

Update from @ChinaDaily: “I hugged Messi this time, but I didn’t get a chance to get his autograph,” he said. “Next time I want to go to Miami and ask Messi for an autograph. But I won’t rush to the pitch and repeat today’s mistake, it’s a wrong thing to do.”

@ZichenWanghere @Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN Great acceleration after hug number one. That was crucial.

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN

@Rory_Medcalf @Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN Alternatively, perhaps the guards just saw this as a case of an overexcited kid running around, & instead of displaying the kind of bloodlust and excessive aggression that characterises the "security" operatives in white countries, they behaved exactly as the situation required.

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN I love how the goalie gives him a little low 5 as he blows by😂 Tend to think we've become too accustomed to cheapening our national teams by prefacing their moniker with a sponsor.

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN For a surveillance state, that's pretty bad...

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN Pictures from the opposite angle found the guards laughing while running, and were never serious about catching him.

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN The security guard is just for the child's dream. The security guard is running with the child with a smile. If he does not accompany the acting, he may be fired. Don't ask me how to know. Because i'm in China

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN I think...I could probably outrun the security guards

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN Just curious, was there any Australian journalists travelling with the Socceroos?

@Socceroos @AFASeleccionEN No.