Inter Miami: Lionel Messi sanctioned after slapping an opponent

Lionel Messi will have to pay a fine over the incident that occurred during Wednesday’s match between Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union. In the closing minutes of a particularly tense game, the Argentine made a gesture toward Quinn Sullivan’s face. The incident went unpunished at the time, as the referee did not see it. MLS’s disciplinary committee later took up the case and decided to punish the Inter Miami player. The amount of the fine was not disclosed. The decision comes at a difficult sporting time for the Florida franchise. Despite their captain’s return to form, Inter Miami remain winless in four matches and are now seven points behind Eastern Conference leaders Nashville.

Messi back among the goals

The Argentine had, however, recently returned to scoring form. On August 8, he scored his first goal since the death of his father, Jorge Messi, and dedicated it to him. His conduct against Philadelphia has nonetheless tarnished that comeback period. While several players were sent off after a separate scuffle in stoppage time, Messi was not sent off on the pitch, before ultimately being sanctioned after a review of the footage.

As the rest of the season approaches, Inter Miami will now need to quickly find stability to stay in contention for the top spots.