Karoline Lima, the girlfriend of Flamengo star Leo Pereira, was left fuming during the Brazilian side’s 1-1 draw against Los Angeles FC in the FIFA Club World Cup but not for the reason you may think
Influencer Karoline Lima was left fuming with police after watching her footballer boyfriend Leo Pereira play for Flamengo in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Brazilian WAG – who has almost six million followers on Instagram – has been a regular attendee of the matches in the United States.
After watching the Brazilian side draw 1-1 with Los Angeles FC at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando which saw Flamengo claim top spot in Group D, pipping Chelsea by a point, controversy ensued inside the arena.
Taking to her Instagram stories, Lima revealed that she was almost thrown out of the stadium by US police who approached her after the full-time whistle blew. According to the authorities, the influencer was not wearing a wristband that allows access in a section of the venue which is reserved for the players’ families.
“You don’t understand, but I almost got kicked out,” she said in the video. “When the game ends, Leonardo asks us to wait there so he can talk to us where we’re sitting. Then out of nowhere, a bunch of police arrived, saying things in English, right?”
Lima added that she attempted to explain that she was in fact family as she continued: “And I said, ‘No, my friends, calm down. Let’s talk. I’m family’. They said you had to have a wristband. All the family members have wristbands. Then the confusion started, everyone saying: ‘Yes, she’s family’. It was a big deal.”
Despite the stressful ordeal, the situation was resolved as Lima was eventually given a wristband. The drama at the Camping World Stadium wasn’t an isolated incident for the influencer who also almost lost her bag after an argument with security prior to kick-off.
The red heart-shaped bag, which has been labelled as lucky by fans due to her holding it during several Flamengo wins, was almost confiscated before the clash against LAFC due to bags not being allowed in stadiums in the United States.
“The woman wanted to confiscate my heart-shaped bag,” Lima revealed. “Here in the United States, they don’t allow bags into stadiums. In fact, they have a size chart for permitted bags, and it’s really small. I arrived here, and the woman wanted to confiscate my bag. I said, ‘No, love. It will not be touched.’ I took my bag and left. Here it is!”
The bag certainly worked its magic as Flamengo clinched a vital point through Wallace Yan’s 86th minute equaliser to ensure top spot in the group as they progress to the knockout stages of the global competition.
The Brazilian giants – who defeated the Blues 3-1 in their second game of the tournament – face a tough test against Bayern Munich on Sunday. A quarter-final clash against the winner of Inter Miami vs Paris Saint-Germain awaits should they get past the German champions.
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The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world’s best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13.
Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.