Lionel Messi will face no punishment after Major League Soccer concluded he did not breach any policy in a post-match incident following Inter Miami’s season-opening defeat to Los Angeles FC.
The league moved swiftly after a video circulated online Saturday night appeared to show Messi heading toward the referees’ area inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The footage, first shared by Sintesis Deportes, showed Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez briefly grabbing Messi’s arm as the Argentine approached a doorway in the tunnel.
Messi slipped free, disappeared from view for several seconds, then re-emerged and walked back toward the dressing room with his teammates.
Speculation spread quickly.
MLS shut it down just as fast.
An MLS spokesperson confirmed that the door in question was not the referees’ locker room and that Messi did not enter a restricted area.
The Professional Referee Organization, which oversees officials in MLS, independently reviewed the sequence and spoke directly with the match crew.
Its conclusion matched the league’s: Messi never accessed the officials’ locker room and did not violate any policy.
No complaint was filed by the match officials. The matter was not referred to the MLS Disciplinary Committee. The case was closed.
The clarity of the ruling stands in contrast to a 2023 episode involving FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga, who entered a referees’ locker room after a playoff match and was suspended three games for misconduct.
That incident involved a clearly restricted space and resulted in disciplinary action. Messi’s situation did not.
Messi’s record with MLS discipline remains limited and unrelated to officiating.
He served a one-match suspension last summer for missing the MLS All-Star Game without approval and was fined during the 2025 season for violating the league’s hands-to-the-face policy. He has never been sanctioned for conduct involving referees.
The controversy unfolded after Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to Los Angeles FC in front of a packed house at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Goals from David Martinez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz spoiled the Herons’ opener and left Messi visibly frustrated at times during the match. He played the full 90 minutes but did not register a goal or assist.
Inter Miami, the defending MLS Cup champions, now turn the page. They return home next Sunday to host Orlando City, with Messi fully available and no disciplinary cloud hanging over the club.
