From Miami Debuted during the 2025 MLS season on Saturday, but the controversy followed quickly. After incidents during the opening struggle between the hedges and New York City FCThe Major League Soccer (MLS) decided that fine stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
The game was heated from the beginning, with a red card issued to the center -back Tomas Aviles in the 23rd minute. Both Messi and Suarez were involved in separate incidents, each resulting in fines to violate MLS policy in terms of contact with an opponent’s face, head or neck.
In Messi’s case, shortly after receiving a yellow card to confront judges Rosendo MendozaThe NYCFC Assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy said something to the Argentine. After having a little conversation, Messi, when he left, He grabbed ballouchy in his throat.
Suarez’s situation, while less published, reflected Messi’s. The incident occurred during half time, and although the moment was not caught by cameras, Suárez was seen grabbing the NYCFC defender Birk Risa at the neck, which got the fine.
According to the MLS competition guidelines, both players were exposed to a ”Minimum fines“For the incidents. This marks the first disciplinary fine for Messi since his arrival at the league in 2023.
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Coach Mascherano treated the controversy
The videos from Messi who confronted both the judge and the NYCFC staff went viral on social media and led to a comprehensive discussion. However, Inter Miami’s head coach Javier Mascherano did not consider that the situation was as serious as it seemed.
“I don’t have much to say. It is difficult when you are on the pitch and things do not go on the right track, especially when you feel the judge made a mistake … In football it is difficult to control feelings“Mascherano explained at a press conference before Inter Miami’s match against Sporting Kansas City in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
He also trivialized the media’s reaction to the event and said: “I also think that the press sometimes wants to create a circus around these moments. This happens in every game where it is discussed with the judge or an opposite player. As we say in Argentina, “What happens on the pitch, stops on the pitch.” Now we forget it and look forward to the next game. “
