Lionel Messi and Argentina team face airport metal detectors in the US

Even football superstars are not exempt from stringent security measures in the United States. Members of the Argentinian national team, fresh off their victory, experienced the thoroughness of airport controls in Kansas City. As they prepared to board their flight to Miami for an upcoming match, each player was required to present their luggage and pass through a metal detector.

The routine security check provided a moment of levity for the team. The players were amused when an officer discovered a long, classic lighter, typically used for stoves, in the hand luggage of defender Cristian 'Cuti' Romero. Rodrigo De Paul was quick to alert Lionel Messi to the situation, eliciting smiles and jokes among the players and airport officials.

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The control of passengers at the airport is part of the TSA's layered security system to ensure their safe arrival at their destination.

The incident, captured on video, showed the players engaging good-naturedly with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers. The TSA's website states that passenger screening is part of a layered security system designed to prevent prohibited items and threats from entering secure areas. The agency inspects approximately 3.3 million carry-on bags daily.

Far from being an inconvenience, the security process was a brief, amusing interlude for the Argentinian squad, who were in high spirits. The team has since arrived in Miami, where they are preparing for their next challenge against Cape Verde in the World Cup Round of 16.

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TSA screening procedures are designed to prevent prohibited items and other threats to transportation security from entering the sterile area of the airport, and are developed in response to intelligence about such threats.