 "Why Lionel Messi escaped punishment despite videos showing his confrontation with referees")
Why Lionel Messi escaped punishment despite videos showing his confrontation with referees
Here’s why Lionel Messi will not face punishment after Inter Miami’s 3-0 MLS season opener loss to LAFC, despite viral videos showing him confronting referees.
Lionel Messi caused a bit of a stir after Inter Miami lost 3-0 to Los Angeles FC in the Major League Soccer (MLS) season opener on Sunday. A video that went viral on social media showed Messi upset with match referees and allegedly trying to enter their locker room to argue.
The video also showed Messi’s teammate Luis Suarez, who was trying to grab his arm to stop him from approaching the area. Several reports later suggested that Messi may have tried to enter the referees’ dressing room, which is not allowed and could have led to a suspension.
In one of the videos, Messi could be seen arguing with Canadian referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere as he walks back to the dressing room. However, the latest reports suggest that Messi will not face any action for entering the referee’s locker room.
Why will Messi not be punished?
After reviewing the situation, Major League Soccer (MLS) said
Lionel Messi did nothing wrong. The area he went through was not restricted, and he did not enter the referees’ actual dressing room.
Chris Rivett, Director of Communications for the Professional Referees Organization (PRO), which is responsible for referee assignments in football leagues across USA and Canada, confirmed that Messi did not break any rules.
“After speaking with the match officials, we can confirm Lionel Messi did not enter the officials’ locker room,” PRO said in a statement the next day as quoted by ESPN.
Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano also said he didn’t see Messi upset during the match. “No, no, no, I didn’t see anything. The truth is that the game is over and then I go into the locker room,” he said.
The incident drew comparisons to a 2023 case when FC Cincinnati’s Matt Miazga entered the referees’ locker room after a playoff game and was suspended.
Messi has been vocal in MLS before about refereeing. After a 3-0 loss to Orlando City SC in 2025, he criticised a referee for missing a call that led to a goal. He has also received yellow cards for dissent in previous games.
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