Lionel Messi fined for grabbing opposition coach's neck

Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi controls the ball during the CONCACAF Champions Cup match between Inter Miami CF and Sporting Kansas City at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on February 25, 2025. (Photo by Chris Arjoon / AFP)

Lionel Messi has received a fine from Major League Soccer (MLS) for an incident involving the neck of an opposing coach.

The incident occurred after the conclusion of the match between Inter Miami and New York City FC on Saturday, February 15, 2025, where Messi was seen placing his hand on the neck of NYCFC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy as he exited the field.

The altercation followed a heated moment earlier in the game, where the reigning league MVP was shown a yellow card following a contentious exchange with the referee.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee confirmed the fine in a statement released on Tuesday, citing Messi's violation of the policy regarding hands to the face, head, or neck of an opponent.

In a similar situation, Messi's teammate Luis Suarez also faced a fine for a comparable action, where he grabbed NYCFC defender Birk Risa's neck just before halftime. CNN has reached out to Inter Miami for further comment regarding these disciplinary actions.

The match itself, marking the first for both teams in the MLS season, ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw. Inter Miami found themselves down to ten players after Tomas Aviles was penalized for a foul on Alonso Martinez, despite appearing to have won the ball. NYCFC initially took the lead with goals from Mitja Ilenic and Martinez, but Miami fought back to equalize in stoppage time. Messi, who provided two assists during the match, set up Telasco Segovia for a crucial goal that salvaged the draw.

In addition to the league match, Inter Miami also competed in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Tuesday, where they secured a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City. Goals from Messi, Suarez, and Tadeo Allende propelled the team into the round of 16.