When Lionel Messi lines up a shot and you’re behind the goal with a camera in hand, the scenario is usually clear: you can either capture a unique image or end up too close to the action. In the case of one photographer during an Inter Miami session, it was the latter that made the difference.

Inter Miami was already in the spotlight ahead of their match against the New York Red Bulls, but one specific play in training put Messi back at the center of the conversation. A powerful shot from the Argentine generated an unexpected moment that quickly began to circulate on social media.

A training session that went off script

The shot did not have the expected destination. Instead of heading clearly towards the goal, the ball took a deflected trajectory and ended up hitting a photographer’s camera located a few meters from the action. The force of the shot was enough to damage the lens, leaving the professional surprised by what happened.

A reporter who was nearby managed to capture the exact moment of the impact. In the images, we can see both the moment when the ball hits the equipment and the photographer’s reaction when he realizes that his work tool had been rendered useless even before any match had started.

This type of scene is unusual, even around a player like Messi. Being around the Argentine usually means witnessing moments of high footballing quality, but on this occasion the memory was out of the ordinary, becoming just another anecdote in the Inter Miami orbit.