Lionel Messi Fined By MLS After Slapping Philadelphia Union’s Quinn Sullivan During Heated Draw
Major League Soccer has handed Lionel Messi a fine following an incident in which the Inter Miami star slapped Philadelphia Union forward Quinn Sullivan.
The altercation occurred in stoppage time during Miami’s 2-2 draw against the Union last Thursday, a match that grew increasingly tense in its closing stages.
Television footage captured Messi approaching the center circle to confront Sullivan while the ball was in play elsewhere on the field.
After a brief exchange between the two players, Messi took a swipe at Sullivan, who responded by squaring up to the Argentine in a fight-style stare-down.
Referee Filip Dujic had his back turned during the incident and arrived to separate the players without showing a card to either man.
MLS subsequently opened a review and determined that Messi had breached the competition’s rules of conduct regarding physical confrontations with opponents.
In its official statement, the league confirmed the slap had “violated league guidelines regarding contact with an opponent’s face, head, or neck.”
The league chose not to disclose the exact amount of the fine handed to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Crucially, despite the severity of the violation, Messi will not face a suspension and remains free to play in Miami’s upcoming fixtures.
Inter Miami teammate Ian Fray was also fined for the same violation, reflecting what was a chippy and ill-tempered conclusion to the contest.
An MLS independent review panel subsequently voted unanimously to overturn Cavan Sullivan’s one-match ban and related fine from the same match.
The game itself carried emotional weight for Messi, who scored in the draw for his first goal since the death of his father, Jorge.
Despite the controversy surrounding his conduct, the fine brings the matter to a close with no further disciplinary action expected against the Argentine superstar.
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