Lionel Messi will not face any punishment from Major League Soccer after a post-match incident involving referees, as confirmed by an MLS spokesperson.
A video shared by Sintesis Deportes shows Messi’s teammate, Luis Suarez, trying to stop him from entering a room in the locker area of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Messi manages to escape and joins his teammates heading to their locker room just a few seconds later.
The MLS spokesperson clarified to The Athletic that the door shown in the video did not lead to the referees’ locker room, and Messi did not enter a restricted area.
FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga faced an investigation and was suspended for three matches in 2023 after entering the referees’ locker room following a playoff match.
Messi has never been punished for any incidents involving referees. However, he did receive a one-match suspension last summer for missing the MLS All-Star Game and was fined for violating rules related to player conduct in a previous match.
Inter Miami lost 3-0 to Los Angeles FC in their MLS season opener. The team will take a break until next Sunday, when they play against Orlando City.