JAKARTA - After further review of the allegation that Lionel Messi gained unauthorized access to the referee's dressing room after the match between Inter Miami and LAFC on Sunday, February 22, 2026 WIB, at the LA Memorial Coliseum, Major League Soccer (MLS) found that the star did not violate the league's policy.
The matter will not be further discussed with the MLS Disciplinary Committee. MLS initially learned of the incident after a video began circulating showing the Inter Miami captain appearing to enter the referee's area for a moment, but the area Messi passed through was not actually restricted by the league.
The door that the player entered was not the door to the referee's dressing room.
Chris Rivett, Director of Communications for the Professional Referees Organization, also confirmed to ESPN that Messi did not enter the referee's dressing room.
"After speaking with the match referee, we can confirm that he did not enter the area," Rivett said.
Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano confirmed he did not see Messi upset when asked if the player was bothered by the referee's decisions throughout the match, which LAFC won 3-0.
"No, no, no, I didn't see anything. The truth is that the game is over and then I go into the locker room," he said in a post-match press conference.
Inter Miami will next visit Orlando City on March 1, 2026 at Inter&Co Stadium.
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