Home » Lionel Messi fined for grabbing neck of NYCFC assistant coach

Lionel Messi fined for grabbing neck of NYCFC assistant coach

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has been fined by MLS for grabbing one of New York City FC’s coaching staff on the neck.

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Messi fined for grabbing neck

The incident occurred during Inter Miami’s season-opening MLS match against New York City FC on Saturday.

Messi paid an undisclosed fine for violating the “hands to the face, head, or neck of an opponent” rule.

Following the final whistle, Messi grabbed the back of NYCFC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy’s neck.

Ballouchy tensed his shoulders but did not retaliate before Messi exited the field and headed to the locker room.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee fined Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the hands to the face/head/neck of NYCFC assistant Mehdi Ballouchy 👀 pic.twitter.com/iLOfmDyJ6g

— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) February 25, 2025

When asked about the discussion between Messi and Ballouchy, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano described it as a matter of the game.

“I don’t have too many things to say. It’s difficult when you are on the pitch,” Mascherano said Monday.

“And sometimes you think that things are not going the right way because sometimes you can see some mistakes from the referee.”

But at the end, in football, to understand the players and the emotions of the player, you have to be inside on the pitch, and [trying] to see from afar, it’s difficult.”

“It’s difficult sometimes to control the emotions. I think the press sometimes want to create a circus about it. And that happens in every game that you can discuss with the referee, with some opposing players.”

“It’s like this. It’s important, what we say in Argentina, what we say, the things that happen in the pitch stay in the pitch. And we forget, we are looking forward to the next game.”

Suarez also fined

Elsewhere, Messi’s teammate Luis Suarez also violated the “hands to the face, head, or neck of an opponent” rule.

Suarez was fined for touching NYCFC player Birk Risa on the back of the neck during a heated argument just seconds after the referee signaled halftime.

The two players exchanged words before NYCFC’s Strahinja Tanasijevic intervened between Risa and Suarez.

Nonetheless, Messi and Suarez will suit up for Inter Miami in their next game against Houston Dynamo FC on the second matchday of the 2025 MLS season.