Fans of global football icon Lionel Messi are about to get an up close and personal view of the Argentinian’s every move on the pitch when he leads his Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami in the MLS Cup 2024.

In a first for football, the legendary forward will wear a camera on his chest during all Inter Miami games in the competition and fans will be able to follow his movement on the pitch via a TikTok livestream, the MLS announced on Monday.

The “Player Spotlight” stream, also dubbed “Messi-cam” by some fans on social media, will go live five minutes before the kickoff time for every Inter Miami game and can be viewed on TikTok channels of both MLS and Inter Miami.

The move will mark the first time a football game will be broadcast live on the social media platform in its entirety with one player in focus but it will not be the first instance of Messi grabbing all the attention in a game.

Previously, in an attempt to attract maximum eyeballs on the league’s star player, the MLS broadcast had one camera focused on the 37-year-old’s movements on the pitch during a US Open Cup game in 2023.

This time, though, the viewers will be able to see what Messi sees when he plays a game as if they were on the field with him.

Fans will get a personal perspective of the world champion’s runs, moves, assists, goals and celebrations as he attempts to land Miami’s first MLS Cup title since his move to the United States in 2023.

The longtime Barcelona player joined the US club in an acrimonious exit from French side Paris Saint-Germain in June 2023.

In his 16 months at Inter Miami, Messi has won a Leagues Cup title in 2023 and the MLS Supporters’ Shield in October.

His team are now among the favourites to win the US league’s biggest competition, the MLS Cup.

Inter Miami will play the first of their best-of-three games against a yet undecided wildcard qualifier on Friday.

Fans will be able to watch up close when Lionel Messi is on the pitch for Inter Miami’s games during the MLS Cup 2024 [File: Chris Arjoon/AFP]