Inter Miami drew with New York City FC 2–2 in their opening game of the 2025 Major League Soccer season last Saturday. Lionel Messi walked away from the game with a point, but he also walked away with a fine.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee fined Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the "hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent" rule. Following the final whistle, Messi was seen grabbing NYCFC's assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy by the back of the neck. The altercation didn't escalate further as Messi walked off the pitch, but that was enough for Messi's wallet to take a hit.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the Hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy following the conclusion of Inter Miami’s match against NYCFC. pic.twitter.com/68hQW7mKFF
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 26, 2025
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Messi was heated in the final minutes of the game. After tallying his second assist of the match to bring the Miami level in stoppage time, Messi was booked after the final whistle blew for a heated exchange with the match referee. The Argentine then confronted the NYCFC assistant as he was walking off the pitch and his fineable offense took place.
Fellow ex-Barcelona player, Luis Suárez was also fined by MLS for the same exact reason. The Uruguay center forward grabbed defender Birk Risa by the back of the neck as the two got into a heated argument when the half time whistle blew.
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It was a hard fought game where tensions and animosity reached the surface. Emotions can run high on the pitch, which is what Miami manager, Javier Mascherano alluded to when he was asked about the incident.
"I don't have too many things to say. It's difficult when you are on the pitch," Mascherano said. "It's difficult sometimes to control the emotions. The things that happen in the pitch stay in the pitch. And we forget, we are looking forward to the next game."
Miami were triumphant in their next game. They defeated Sporting Kansas City 3–1 and punched their ticket to the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16, where they'll face Jamaican Premier League side, Cavalier.
Messi and the Herons will be back in action for matchweek 2 of the MLS regular season, when they visit Houston Dynamo on Sunday, Mar. 2.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Was Lionel Messi Fined by MLS After New York City FC Game?.
