Lionel Messi moved to the MLS club, Inter Miami in June. MLS have certain rules that are unique to the league. One of them says that players need to appear for the media after the media. However, even after playing in two MLS matches, Leo Messi has not appeared in front of the media after any of the. As per the rules, he should get punishment. However, apparently, the Argentina captain has a special agreement with the MLS regarding the matter which lets him off the hook.
Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami at the end of last season. His move meant adjusting to the country’s lifestyle and their league’s rules and regulations. One of such rules says that all players should be made available after a match for any face-to-face with the media. Messi joined in June and made his debut for the club in July. However, all of his matches till the end of August were Leagues Cup matches. He made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut only a few days ago.
Till now, he’s played in two MLS matches for Inter Miami. His debut MLS match was against the NY Red Bulls and his second was against Nashville. He scored against NY Red Bulls, but their match against Nashville ended in a goalless draw. Even so, Leo Messi has been the biggest attraction for all football fans in the United States. Fans have been flocking to the stadium as all tickets are selling out for every match. Hence, it’s only natural that the media would be especially interested in him.
Since Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami have won the Leagues Cup trophy which is the first trophy in the club’s history. Additionally, before his arrival, Miami did not win in 6 consecutive matches. Since his arrival, they have been on an unbeaten streak. His inclusion to the team has been hugely impactful and it shows. Hence, the media’s all attention are focused on him.
However, since his move to Inter Miami, Messi has appeared only once during a press conference. There, he spoke with the help of a translator. This has made a lot of people suspicious about the fact whether the Argentina captain will be receiving any punishment or not for breaching MLS regulations. However, an MLS spokesperson explained, “There was a misunderstanding regarding Lionel Messi’s media access. He has not violated any guidelines for his media availability in Major League Soccer.”