Messi: 'MLS referees don't know the rules'

Messi criticized the referees in the MLS. Photo: Reuters .

On May 19th, Inter Miami suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat against Orlando City in Round 14 of MLS, marking their fifth loss in their last seven matches. Speaking after the game, M10 expressed his disappointment with the refereeing.

Luis Muriel scored the opening goal for Orlando City in the 43rd minute in a controversial incident. Messi claimed that an Orlando player had committed a foul in their own half, before goalkeeper Pedro Gallese assisted Muriel's goal.

"An opposing player passed the ball back to the goalkeeper and committed a foul. But the referee came and told me he didn't know the rules, which is baffling," Messi said.

The Argentinian superstar also called on the MLS organizers to review the refereeing: "Sometimes there are very obvious mistakes, like in the game against San Jose. This is not an excuse for our defeat. But there's always something wrong with the referees in situations like that. I think MLS should pay more attention to refereeing."

Messi and his teammates face a packed schedule until mid-June. Inter Miami will play three MLS matches before competing in the FIFA Club World Cup. Sandwiched between these are Argentina's World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against Chile (June 6) and Colombia (June 11).

At 37, physical fitness is certainly no longer a major advantage for Messi. The former Barcelona star possesses undeniable class, but to maintain his influence across all three competitions, he needs to be used wisely.

Messi scores as Inter Miami suffers heavy defeat: Lionel Messi scored the only goal for Inter Miami in their 1-4 loss to Minnesota United in Round 12 of MLS on the morning of May 11th.

Source: https://znews.vn/messi-trong-tai-mls-khong-biet-luat-post1554356.html