Lionel Messi now faces a legal battle in the United States. A Florida-based company has filed a lawsuit, claiming the Argentina star missed a scheduled match and suffered huge financial losses. According to TMZ, the company says it spent millions anticipating Messi’s arrival, but when he did not, the event lost both value and money.
Miami promoter sues Lionel Messi and Argentine Football Association over missing Venezuela match
Miami-based company VID is behind the lawsuit. It organizes sports and concerts. VID says it signed a deal worth about $7 million with the Argentine Football Association for two exhibition matches last October. These matches were planned against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. As part of the deal, Messi was expected to play at least 30 minutes in both games, unless injured. But things did not go according to plan.Messi did not play in the match against Venezuela at Hard Rock Stadium. VID claims this broke the agreement. Things got worse for him when Messi played for Inter Miami CF the very next day and even scored two goals against Atlanta United. VID says this shows he was fit to play. He also said he paid for a private suite so that Messi and his family could watch the Venezuela game even though they did not step onto the field.
Match changes, losses and previous of MLS The matter adds to the controversy of Lionel Messi
Messi played in the second match against Puerto Rico and provided two assists in a 6–0 victory. But VID says the damage was already done.The company claims it lost more than $1 million. A major reason was also the change of venue. The Venezuela match was moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale due to poor ticket sales.There was confusion as to who took this decision. The Argentine Football Association pointed to strict immigration rules affecting fans in Chicago. Local officials in Chicago blamed low demand for tickets.VID also says that future matches, including games in China, were promised to compensate for the losses. Those matches never happened.This is not the first time that Messi-related incidents have led to legal trouble. Just last month, Major League Soccer and the Vancouver Whitecaps settled a separate case involving promotional claims. That case involved fans hoping to see Messi and other stars like Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets.Despite all this, Messi’s performance on the field remains strong. Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, he has scored 83 goals in 96 games. He has also helped the club win the League Cup, Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup. Messi is expected to play an important role for Argentina in the next World Cup also.