Lionel Messi has been handed an undisclosed fine by Major League Soccer (MLS) after an incident in Saturday's match between Inter Miami and New York City FC, where he was seen grabbing the neck of NYC FC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy. The altercation occurred after the game concluded, and Messi's actions were captured on camera, drawing the attention of the league’s disciplinary committee.
Lionel Messi's confrontation with NYC FC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy
The exchange between Messi and Ballouchy took place immediately after the final whistle of the match. Messi was seen placing his hands on the back of Ballouchy’s neck during the argument, which led to MLS's disciplinary committee reviewing the situation. In their official statement, the league confirmed that Messi’s actions violated their "Hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent" policy, prompting the fine.
Tensions escalate with referee
The incident with Ballouchy followed an earlier confrontation in which Messi was visibly frustrated with referee Alexis Da Silva.
After the final whistle, Messi remonstrated with the referee, which resulted in him receiving a yellow card for dissent as he made his way back to the tunnel. Messi’s fiery reaction was likely fueled by the tense moments earlier in the game.
Key moments in the Inter Miami vs New York City FC
Messi had been involved in a dramatic sequence during the 2-2 draw between the two teams at Inter Miami's Chase Stadium. The World Cup winner played an important role, assisting his teammate Telasco Segovia for a stoppage-time equalizer.
Earlier in the match, Miami’s Tomas Aviles had been handed a red-card for a foul on NYC FC’s Alonso Martinez, denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Aviles had previously scored Miami’s first goal with another assist from Messi.
Luis Suarez also fined for similar incident
In a similar scenario, Messi’s teammate, Luis Suarez, was also fined for placing his hands on the back of the neck of NYC FC defender Birk Risa during the first half of the same match.
The fine marks another chapter in Messi’s ongoing tensions with referees in the U.S. Just days earlier, the referee of Inter Miami’s Concacaf Champions League opener against Sporting Kansas City was disciplined for asking Messi for his shirt after the game. Messi had scored the only goal in that 1-0 victory, which was played in freezing temperatures in Kansas City.