Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi fined by MLS over Quinn Sullivan incident

Major League Soccer has fined Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi for pushing Philadelphia Union player Quinn Sullivan in the face during their recent league meeting. The amount of the penalty has not been disclosed by the MLS Disciplinary Committee.

The decision was published on the league’s official website. MLS said Messi had breached its policy on touching an opponent’s face, head or neck during the match between Inter Miami and Philadelphia Union on 19 August.

“Major League Soccer’s Disciplinary Committee has fined Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the league’s policy regarding hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent in the 101st minute of Miami’s match against Philadelphia Union on August 19.”

The referee did not show Messi a yellow card or award a foul against him for the incident during the match.

Messi returned to scoring in the game after resuming his involvement in matches following the death of his father, Jorge.

According to The Athletic, this is the second time Messi has been fined by MLS since joining Inter Miami in 2023.

His first MLS fine came in 2025, when he was penalised after grabbing the neck of Mehdi Ballouchy, an assistant coach at New York City FC.

The latest disciplinary action comes as Inter Miami continue their campaign in the Eastern Conference. The club sit second in the standings after 20 matches.

Messi has scored 13 goals in MLS this season, putting him second in the league’s scoring standings behind Croatia international Petar Musa, who has 16. The Argentine has also provided eight assists.

Inter Miami are preparing to face Toronto on Sunday in round 23 of the MLS season.

The fine relates specifically to an incident late in the match against Philadelphia Union, with the contact involving Sullivan taking place in the 101st minute. Although no on-field punishment was issued at the time, the league’s disciplinary process subsequently reviewed the action and imposed a financial penalty.

Messi’s return to the scoresheet against Philadelphia was also notable because it followed his return to competitive action after the death of his father, Jorge. He remains one of the leading contributors in MLS, combining his 13 goals with eight assists as Inter Miami challenge near the top of the Eastern Conference.

The undisclosed fine means MLS has not revealed the financial value of the punishment, but the league has confirmed that the decision was made under its policy governing contact with an opponent’s face, head or neck. The incident is the second occasion on which Messi has received an MLS fine since arriving at Inter Miami in 2023.