In 2013 Chris Hegardt was a child with cancer and played in Barcelona against “Pulce” for a fundraising match. Then the recovery and the new match in the Inter Miami-Charlotte match
Messi and Hegardt
Lionel Messi conquered the Major Soccer Leaguel in a short time. The “Pulce” scores repeatedly (nine goals in six games) and delights Inter Miami fans and all American sportsmen. The Argentine is the absolute star and it is no surprise that at the end of the matches even the opponents want to shake his hand and say hello. But after the dry 4-0 trimmed against Charlotte, where he scored the fourth goal, Messi found himself facing a young footballer named Christopher Hegardt. “Chris”, as everyone calls the 21-year-old midfielder, didn’t play against Inter Miami but wanted to embrace the champion who allowed him to live and become a professional footballer.
Indeed, Hegardt is what the Americans call a “Cancer Survivor“, a boy capable of defeating cancer and fulfilling his dream of playing football. Ten years ago, Hegardt was an eleven-year-old who was battling liver cancer and needed a transplant. Thanks to the foundation Make-a-Wish he had taken a plane to Spain and met Leo Messi (then the absolute star of Barcelona). The “Pulce” had decided to spend a day with children with cancer playing soccer and act as a testimonial for the donation campaign. Also thanks to Messi, Hegardt recovered from cancer and began his career in US professional football first with the Tacoma Defiance and now with Charlotte.
In 2023 as in 2013: Messi and Hegardt found themselves in front of each other. “It was really great to meet Messi again. At that moment in my life I couldn’t imagine that 11 years later I would play against him again,” said Hegardt. “I appreciate even more what I’ve done in my life and the resilience I have shown, but I think he too, who now plays for the MSL, appreciates it.”