The honeymoon is starting to come to an end between Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami and some of its most diehard supporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For 84 minutes during Sunday\u2019s 2-0 Inter Miami victory over Nashville SC, the club\u2019s main supporters section remained silent as the supporters\u2019 group \u201cLa Familia\u201d protested the team\u2019s unappreciative attitude toward its fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It left the usually raucous atmosphere of banging drums, flags flying and supporters chanting throughout the game eerily silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inter Miami fans are pictured during a May 17 match. Getty Images<\/p>\n
The situation took another turn when the fans finally broke their silence in the 85th minute and began chanting in Spanish, \u201cPlayers, salute your fans, acknowledge your people, who ask nothing else of you!\u201d<\/p>\n
Video posted online showed Messi appearing to glare in the direction of the supporters\u2019 section and even seemed to sarcastically gesture toward them as they chanted their demand for respect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The frustration stems from the Inter Miami players reportedly not following soccer tradition and clapping for their fans after a match.\u00a0<\/p>\n
MESSI SE ENOJ\u00d3 CON SU PROPIA HINCHADA EN MEDIO DE UNA VICTORIA<\/p>\n
Inter Miami ganaba 2-0 a Portland Timbers cuando los hinchas cantaron “jugadores, respeten a la hinchada”. La Pulga reaccion\u00f3 con el cl\u00e1sico gesto del montoncito mirando a la tribuna. pic.twitter.com\/er9iARciNC<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Somos ZIP (@somoszip) May 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Miami players are said to have not done so in four previous matches and even on Sunday, only a select group of players had gone over to thank the fans after the win.\u00a0<\/p>\n Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul all walked right off the field to the locker room without going to applaud the supporters\u2019 section.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lionel Messi acknowledges fans during Inter Miami\u2019s May 17 match. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Messi did not address the controversy after the match.\u00a0<\/p>\n The soccer icon very rarely addresses the media, which has become a controversy in and of itself recently.<\/p>\n \u201cInter Miami is a huge club because of the players who have been champions and won many things, the people made their display, but I have no opinion on it,\u201d interim coach Guillermo Hoyos told reporters after the match, according to the Miami Herald.<\/a><\/p>\n Inter Miami fans react during a May 17 match. MLS via Getty Images<\/p>\n German Berterame, who scored in the win, told reporters that the protest \u201cwas surprising\u201d but that he also understands their point.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey have a point because they deserve that we recognize them,\u201d Berterame said. \u201cThe important thing is that we stay united, on the same side, like today, we won after so much, and that also brings happiness to them.\u201d<\/p>\n The win on Sunday was Inter Miami\u2019s first at Nu Stadium, the club\u2019s brand-new home that opened last month.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t