Argentine Legend Lionel Messi Tries to ‘Beat’ Referee After Inter Miami’s Defeat, Video
- Argentine legend Lionel Messi was caught on camera attempting to confront the referee at the 2026 Major League Soccer opener
- The Barcelona legend lost his cool following Inter Miami's 3-0 defeat at the hands of Los Angeles FC
- Football fans worldwide have reacted to the actions of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner
Clips of Argentine legend Lionel Messi trying to confront the referee after the 2026 Major League Soccer opener have emerged.
Inter Miami suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at the hands of Los Angeles FC at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, February 21.
Source: Getty Images
In the 38th minute, Los Angeles took the lead through David Martinez with a left-footed finish, with an assist from Korean international Son Heung-min.
The home side doubled their lead in the 73rd minute, heading the ball past goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair before sending it into the empty net. Nathan Ordaz added one more in the 94th minute for a perfect 3-0 victory.
Son saw LAFC's last goal off the pitch, as he was substituted off in the 89th minute.
Lionel Messi confronts the referee
Shortly after the final whistle, the former Paris Saint-Germain star appeared to be disgusted with the officiating.
In a video on X, the Inter Miami captain could be seen attempting to force his way into the officials' dressing room following the match despite teammate Luis Suarez's attempts to hold him back.
Watch the video:
It is unclear whether Messi confronted referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere and his assistants after doing so, though.
Messi re-emerged from the dressing room seconds later alongside Suarez before they walked to their side's changing room, per talk SPORTS.
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of fans following the behaviour of Lionel Messi. Read them below:
@lebar4real said:
"He must have been provoked. Everyone has this kind of moment one way or the other.
@cryptiq0 wrote:
"Whatever that ref said or didn’t call must’ve been CRAZY. Messi barely crashes out like that so you know tensions were high 😳."
@mr_yatt1 added:
"This is absolute unacceptable from Messi. Refs should never be harrased for doing their job. If you are not comfortable with the referee’s decisions, there are chains of command that must be followed. He needs to be punished according to the rule book."
Source: Getty Images
@thediabetes_doc said:
"If it was Ronaldo the Internet would have been filled with the news. Messi has always been a sore loser. Accept the results and move on."
Meanwhile, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said his team needs to bounce back from their defeat in their next match. The former Liverpool star said via SportBible:
“We clearly know we have a lot to improve. We need to keep building on the positive things we’ve done, correct the mistakes we made, and keep moving forward."
Algeria players attack referee
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Algerian national team players risk CAF sanction after confronting the match official after their 2-0 loss to the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Marrakech.
Super Eagles defeated the Desert Foxes and dumped them out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, thanks to goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams.
Source: Legit.ng
