Major League Soccer (MLS) has cleared Lionel Messi of any wrongdoing following an incident after Inter Miami’s season-opener loss to LAFC, where he appeared to confront match officials. A video showed Messi approaching officials as he left the field, and teammate Luis Suarez had to restrain him. However, an MLS spokesperson confirmed that the area Messi entered was not restricted, and he did not enter the referee’s locker room, as was initially speculated.
In a statement, Chris Rivette from the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) confirmed that match officials reported Messi did not breach any policies. This incident drew comparisons to FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga’s 2023 altercation with referees, which led to a suspension for Miazga, although league investigators found no such evidence against Messi.
Messi has a history of criticizing officiating in MLS. In a prior interview, he complained about referee mistakes affecting games and received yellow cards for his protests in more recent matches, though he has not faced disciplinary action for his behavior towards officials. His only prior disciplinary actions in MLS were unrelated to refereeing incidents.
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