Lionel Messi Fined Undisclosed Amount by MLS for Horrific Reason

Football or soccer as it is also referred by, is a sport that is ardently followed by people of all ages, races, and backgrounds around the world. It’s a universal language that works as a cultural phenomenon and triggers passion to go beyond the spirit of sportsmanship.

When the sport is so intense and has constant moments of pulsating through the game, the stakes and emotions are certainly high. The players express their deepest emotions through their game. Any act of negativity leads to players being penalized for their actions. In football, players are fined for committing on-field breaches that violate the rules of sportsmanship, player safety and game’s integrity. Actions that are deemed detrimental to the spirit of the game have monetary fines to deter players from repeating any uncalled behaviour.

One such penalizing incident recently occurred with the G.O.A.T of modern football – Lionel Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has found his name floating in troubled waters for an infamous incident brough to light. He has apparently been fined an undisclosed amount by the governing body Major League Soccer (MLS) after allegedly grabbing the neck of New York City FC Assistant Coach match Mehdi Ballouchy.

The revered Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the ongoing league and one of the most followed footballers across the world was caught on camera in an intense heated exchange of words with the assistant coach and went on to cover his mouth as two assistants intervened to neutralize the situation.

Within no seconds, Messi turned back towards Ballouchy and put his hand on the back to squeeze it in a manner that it appeared to stun him. This heat of the moment act during the argument has sparked a shocking controversy. During the Inter-Miami vs Sporting Kansas City match, Messi also received a yellow card for a media reported verbal spat with the chief referee Alexis Da Silva, while he was exiting the pitch following the full-time whistle blow.

MLS confirmed that its disciplinary committee had indeed ruled that Messi had breached the league’s “Hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent” policy.
The incident reportedly happened after Messi assisted a stoppage-time equalizer for fellow team-mate Telasco Segovia in the 2-2 draw at the Chase Stadium during the season opener.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee fined Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the hands to the face/head/neck of NYCFC assistant Mehdi Ballouchy 👀 pic.twitter.com/iLOfmDyJ6g

— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) February 25, 2025

In the same dramatic match, as is one controversy was not sufficed, Messi’s fellow teammate Luis Suarez was not far behind. He was also fined for violating the same league policy. Apparently, during the halftime, Suarez pinched the back of Norwegian defender Birk Risa’s neck creating an unpleasant experience for the onlookers.

In the decisive second leg of the Inter-Miami against Kansas City match held on February 25, the magical game-winner assisted his team to advance into CONCACAF Championship’s Round of 16 with a thumping 3-1 victory, as expected. Whether the fine imposed on Messi was justified and appropriate or an act of exaggeration to defame the star player by the opposing team, is a personal opinion and left for the readers to decide.