Lionel Messi was disciplined after patting Cavan Sullivan on the head during a scuffle at the end of Inter Miami's 2-2 draw with Philadelphia Union in MLS.
The action happened at the end of a tense match at Subaru Park, when the two teams repeatedly collided and ended with two red cards. Messi's case may be considered by the MLS Disciplinary Committee. According to Deporte Total USA, the Argentine superstar is likely to be investigated, with the possibility of receiving a financial penalty.
In the 12th minute of injury, Quinn Sullivan, Cavan's brother, argued with Inter Miami defender Ian Fray and fell to the field. Fray seemed to step on Quinn, causing the Philadelphia player to react and the two sides struggled and fell.
Cavan Sullivan immediately ran to protect his brother. The 16-year-old midfielder then collided with Inter Miami's Yannick Bright. Two players pushed each other while other players rushed to stop them.
Messi also appeared and patted Sullivan on the head. The situation attracted attention because Messi is always the center of attention on the field. The 16-year-old midfielder then tried to attack Messi, but the away team players ran to protect their captain.
Sullivan and Bright both ended up receiving straight red cards for violent behavior. Quinn received a yellow card. For Sullivan, this is the first red card in his very short professional career.
Sullivan is only 16 years old but has become the most notable young talent in MLS. He signed a contract with Philadelphia Union from 2024 and has been determined to transfer to Man City when he turns 18 according to pre-arranged terms. In this match, Sullivan played until the end of regular time and caused many difficulties for Inter Miami's defense with his speed, dribbling ability and coordination.
Philadelphia's interim coach, Ryan Richter, said that Cavan did not deserve a red card. He also criticized the way Fray started the incident when he said that the Inter Miami defender had acted disrespectfully towards Quinn. "I don't think Cavan's reaction deserves a red card. He pulled a player's shirt and then got punched in the head," Richter said, and hoped the situation would be reviewed for a fair result.
In this situation, Messi played outstandingly. The 39-year-old striker scored in the 26th minute, helping Inter Miami lead 2-1. This is Messi's first goal since his father, Jorge Messi, passed away on August 8.
Before that, Messi also contributed to the equalizer when he passed accurately to Luis Suarez. The Uruguay striker headed the ball across the goal for Daniel Pinter to score his first goal in MLS.
However, Messi's contributions were not enough to help Inter Miami win. Philadelphia equalized in the 58th minute and maintained pressure for the rest of the match. The home team launched 17 shots, compared to 5 for Inter Miami.
At the end of the match, attention turned completely to the brawl. Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos sees this as a consequence of a highly competitive match. "It's part of the game. We want to win, and they want to win too," Hoyos said. "Both teams played with maximum effort, so emotions were high."
However, Messi's actions can be considered independently of the two red cards at the end of the match. If the MLS Disciplinary Committee determines that the act of patting Sullivan on the head violates the regulations, the Inter Miami captain may receive a fine.
Messi is Inter Miami's most important player during a difficult period. The Florida team did not win their last four matches and only took one point against Philadelphia, even though Messi scored again. Inter Miami is still second in the East but seven points behind Nashville.
