MLS cleared Messi of wrongdoing after referee confrontation
Messi entered doorway but not restricted officials' room
Similar incident with Matt Miazga resulted in suspension
Messi has history of criticizing officials without penalty
📖 Full Retelling
Major League Soccer has cleared Lionel Messi of wrongdoing after the Argentinian star confronted match officials following Inter Miami's 3-0 season-opening loss to LAFC at the LA Coliseum on Saturday evening, determining that the area Messi entered was not a restricted zone. In video footage shared by reporter Giovanni Guerrero, Messi is seen pursuing officials as they entered a doorway within the stadium, with teammate Luis Suárez attempting to restrain him before Messi slips away briefly before returning and heading to the locker room. MLS officials confirmed that while Messi did approach the officials, he never entered the designated referee locker room, which would have been marked with restricted signage. The league's decision comes after a similar incident in 2023 involving FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga, who received a three-match suspension (later reduced to two) for entering the referee's changing room after confronting officials following a playoff victory. Messi has developed a pattern of criticizing officials in MLS, having publicly questioned refereeing decisions after matches against Orlando City and San Jose Earthquakes, though he has never faced disciplinary action for these confrontations. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has previously been disciplined for unrelated incidents, including a fine for an altercation with an NYC FC assistant coach and a one-game suspension for missing the MLS All-Star Game.
🏷️ Themes
Sports Discipline, Professional Soccer, Referee Relations
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (lit. 'Miami International Football Club'), commonly referred to as Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in Miami. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Inter Miami plays their home matches at Mi...
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Messi has set numerous records for indiv...
Professional soccer league in the United States and Canada
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. MLS is one of the major professio...
Lionel Messi’s referee confrontation in tunnel did not violate policy, MLS says Miami star confronted officials in a doorway after 3-0 loss League determined area was not off-limits to players MLS has suspended players for entering officials’ room Major League Soccer has cleared Lionel Messi of wrongdoing after the Argentinian appeared to pursue match officials after Inter Miami’s season-opening loss to LAFC on Saturday evening. In a video posted to X by Síntesis Deportes reporter Giovanni Guerrero , Messi appears to confront match officials as they entered a doorway within the LA Coliseum after the match, a 3-0 win for LAFC. Miami forward Luis Suárez is seen restraining Messi, who slips out of his teammate’s grip and disappears behind a door. He emerged seconds later and retreated with Suárez to Miami’s locker room. “The area [Messi entered] wasn’t a restricted area, which would have been marked off with signage” an MLS spokesperson told the Guardian on Sunday. “It was not the referee’s locker room. The league reviewed the sequence, and did not find Messi or another person involved in violation of any league policies.” Chris Rivett, director of communications at Professional Referee Organization , the body that administers professional refereeing in North America, said that it was confirmed with the match officials that Messi did not enter their locker room. The video of Messi, which spread on social media on Saturday night and Sunday morning, harkened back to a similar incident in 2023 involving FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga. Miazga received a three-match suspension – later reduced to two – for entering the referee’s changing room after a playoff win over the New York Red Bulls. The Professional Soccer Referees Association , the labor union who represent MLS referees, said that Miazga had been “forcibly removed” from the locker room after “angrily” confronting match officials, a description that FC Cincinnati officials disagreed with. League investigators use...
