Messi fined by MLS after contact with opponent's face

MLS fined Lionel Messi on Friday, two days after he made contact with the face of Philadelphia Union midfielder Quinn Sullivan during the 2-2 draw between Inter Miami and Philadelphia Union on Wednesday evening.

The incident occurred in the final seconds of added time, following a tense exchange between the two players. The referee did not issue a card at the time, but the footage led the league’s disciplinary commission to open proceedings. The commission concluded that Messi had violated the regulation governing contact with “the face, head or neck” of an opponent. The amount of the fine was not made public.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will avoid any suspension and can therefore be available for Miami’s next match. A favorable outcome for the Florida franchise, which is going through a difficult period: four matches without a win in MLS and seven points behind Nashville, leaders of the Eastern Conference.

The evening had started on a more positive note for the Argentine. Messi scored the goal that made it 2-1, his first since the death of his father Jorge on August 8, before Philadelphia Union secured the equalizer and the end of the match deteriorated. A few days earlier, he had endured a difficult weekend: a 4-1 defeat to Nashville and a third consecutive penalty miss across all competitions.

This unusual loss of composure is not without precedent since Messi’s arrival in the United States, but it comes at a particularly sensitive moment, both personally and sportively.