Manu Gutiérrez, a 30-year-old Venezuelan sports journalist living with cerebral palsy, has captured the attention of global football stars and the sports media fraternity during the ongoing FIFA World Cup in North America.
Gutiérrez, who uses a wheelchair, first gained international attention after securing a brief but memorable interview with Argentina captain Lionel Messi following the defending champions' final World Cup warm-up match against Iceland at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama before the tournament began.
Following that viral moment, Gutiérrez fulfilled a lifelong dream by interviewing the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. Rather than asking Messi for an autograph or a photograph, he conducted a professional interview focused solely on football.
The interaction proved so successful that Gutiérrez later secured a second exclusive interview with Messi, during which the pair shared light-hearted moments while discussing Argentina's World Cup campaign.
His remarkable work has also earned the admiration of England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who stopped during a media walk to speak with Gutiérrez and expressed his support for Venezuela.
The heartwarming encounters with Messi and Bellingham have propelled Gutiérrez into the global spotlight, highlighting his passion and dedication to sports journalism despite the physical challenges he faces.
Away from the World Cup, Gutiérrez is a digital content creator and the founder of MVP Sports Plus in Venezuela. Living with spastic cerebral palsy since birth, he has become one of the tournament's most inspiring media personalities, proving through his work that disability is not inability.