Lional Messi will not face punishment for an attempt to confront referees after Inter Miami’s 3-0 defeat at LAFC on Saturday, the Professional Referee Organization said, ruling that the World Cup winner was not in violation of MLS rules during the incident.
In a video shared on social media shortly after Saturday’s match at the LA Memorial Coliseum, Messi was seen entering a doorway that allegedly leads to the referees’ locker room. Teammate Luis Suarez grabs his arm in an effort to pull him away, the pair emerging from that doorway moments later in Suarez’s attempt to de-escalate the situation. It was initially unclear how close Messi got to the officials’ locker room but in a statement from PRO, which is responsible for all refereeing assignments in MLS and other U.S. professional soccer leagues, they said the World Cup winner did not get far enough to put himself in danger of breaking league rules.
“After speaking with the match officials, we can confirm Lionel Messi did not enter the officials’ locker room,” PRO said in a statement on Sunday.
No match officials filed complaints against Messi after the match and an investigation concluded that he did not enter any restricted areas during the incident.
MLS previously fined FC Cincinnati’s Matt Miazga for three matches after he entered the referees’ locker room following a playoff match at the New York Red Bulls, angered by the yellow card he received that would keep him out of the next game in the postseason. Miazga’s suspension was subsequently reduced to two matches.
