Footage shows a furious Lionel Messi entering an area near the referees’ locker room after Inter Miami’s season-opening defeat to LAFC on Saturday, Feb. 21.
The defending MLS champions fell 3-0 at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, with David Martinez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz scoring for LAFC.
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LAFC kept Messi and Co. in check for much of the game, making a major statement in its first MLS game under new manager Marc Dos Santos.
Video taken by SÃntesis Deportes shows players and officials walking through the tunnel after the game. The match referees walk toward their locker room, with a visibly angry Messi following them.
Messi’s teammate Luis Suárez attempts to restrain him but to no avail, with the Argentine legend continuing on past the camera’s viewpoint.
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Suárez does eventually succeed as Messi exits the area after only a handful of seconds.
Will Lionel Messi be suspended?
According to MLS and the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), Messi won’t face a suspension because he did not enter a restricted area.
“After speaking with match officials, we can confirm he did not enter the premises,” said PRO spokesperson Chris Rivett said.
There is recent precedent for a MLS player being suspended for behavior similar to Messi’s, but there was a crucial difference.
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FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga was suspended three matches for entering the referees’ locker room after his side’s playoff defeat against the New York Red Bulls in November 2023.
Miazga’s suspension was eventually reduced by one game following a successful petition.
Inter Miami is next in action against rival Orlando City on March 1.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lionel Messi confronts refs after Inter Miami loss at LAFC