Earlier today, Major League Soccer's Disciplinary Committee fined Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez "an undisclosed amount for violating the hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy" following Saturday's 2-2 draw with New York City FC.
Both players were reprimanded for grabbing the necks of opponents in similar but separate confrontations that took place at different times.
Messi was fined for grabbing the back of the neck of New York City Assistant Coach Mehdi Ballouchy after the end of the game. You can see the incident in the official video released by MLS below.
MLS Disciplinary Committee | Lionel Messi fined
Courtesy MLS
Suárez was fined for an earlier incident, when the striker confronted New York City center-back Birk Risa after the end of the first half. The official video posted by MLS shows Suárez confronting Risa, then reaching around with his left hand to grab the defender by the back of the neck.
What would normally be a couple of minor if troubling intramural incidents that wouldn't make headlines outside of MLS are international news because of Messi's global profile. The World Champion's postgame behavior became the major talking point of the weekend, eclipsing the scorelines and highlights of the league's opening day.
Noah Kassell-Yung
Yesterday, Hudson River Blue posted a story wondering if the Disciplinary Committee would fine Messi. At the time, it seemed unlikely that "the league claws back any of the over $20 million owed to Messi in 2025 compensation for this out-of-character postmatch incident."
Many pundits agreed. Over on ESPN, former United States Men's National Team forward Herculez Gomez speculated that MLS would look the other way. "You can ill-afford if you're Major League Soccer to have these images circulating around the world. But let's be honest, they're not going to do a damn thing about this," Gomez said. "Nothing is going to happen to Messi."
ESPN FC |Will Messi be punished by MLS?
So much for that. The Disciplinary Committee indeed took action against Messi, possibly in response to the glare of the international spotlight. If MLS is to be taken seriously, the league needs to let the world know that no player – even the GOAT – is above a rule as serious as "the hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy."
Not only did MLS issue the surprise ruling against Messi, the committee also combed through the game tape to find the footage of Suárez grabbing Risa, a confrontation that had completely escaped the attention of soccer pundits. With that, MLS sent a message that to the world that the league is professional, through, and fair.
As many noted, it's one thing to get physical during a game and have an emotional response to a run of play; it's another to seek out your opponents after the whistle sounds and grab them by the neck.
It looks like the league will claw back some of Messi's $20 million salary after all.
