A lawsuit has been filed against Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association after the Inter Miami star did not feature in a friendly game in the United States last year.
According to The Athletic, VID Music Group, a Miami-based events company, filed a 10-count complaint, in a South Florida court against Messi, the AFA and a third-party agent. Messi did not appear for Argentina in October’s friendly against Venezuela at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, a match organized and promoted by VID.
Messi is accused of conspiring with the agent and the AFA “to engage in conduct” designed to persuade VID into entering into contracts with the AFA “under false pretenses”.
The Inter Miami forward is also accused of negligent misrepresentation and tortious interference of contract.
Counts against the AFA include alleged negligent misrepresentation and alleged breaches of contract relating to the Venezuela game, a match against Puerto Rico in October and a pair of proposed matches that would have taken place in the U.S. in June 2026. The agent has been accused of fraud.
The game against Venezuela, which Argentina won 1-0, was scheduled for October 10 at Hard Rock Stadium during a FIFA international window.
While the FIFA window is available to all international confederations, MLS does not break for international fixtures in October, with the regular season concluding that month.
Messi, 38, subsequently started and scored twice for Inter Miami in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United on October 11. He then appeared for Argentina against Puerto Rico two days later, recording two assists in the 6-0 win — a game also organized and promoted by VID.
The game was played at Inter Miami’s then-home, Chase Stadium, in Fort Lauderdale after being relocated from Chicago.
Messi was not included in the Argentina squad against Venezuela, a decision that VID said it only became aware of the day prior and was not communicated to the company by the AFA.
The Argentina forward was pictured sitting in a box at the game alongside his family, which VID said it paid for.
Lionel Messi and his family attend the International Friendly between Argentina and Venezuela at Hard Rock Stadium on October 10, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
The complaint alleges that Messi’s non-appearance directly affected attendance, which VID said was approximately 15,000, around 23 per cent of the stadium’s capacity. It also claimed that the terms of the agreement meant that VID was entitled to 25 per cent of the value of the contract if Messi failed to appear and said that the AFA breached the contract by failing to pay the amount.
It also claims that Messi represented to the public and to VID that he would appear in the game, and that he should have known he would not play in the match, with his failure to appear interfering with the agreement signed between VID and the AFA. VID claimed it suffered damages as a result.
