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Major League Soccer has fined Inter Miami star Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for hitting Philadelphia Union player Quinn Sullivan on the back of the neck during a 2–2 draw.
According to L’Équipe, the league issued the fine for breaking rules on putting hands on an opponent’s head or neck.
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Messi approached Quinn Sullivan near the center circle during stoppage time and slapped the back of his neck after a brief, heated verbal exchange.
However, match referee Filip Dujic missed Messi’s slap on the field, resulting in the Disciplinary Committee handling the punishment post-match.
The fine marks the second time Messi has faced disciplinary action from MLS since joining the league in 2023, following a previous fine in February 2025 for a postmatch altercation with New York City FC assistant coach Medhi Ballouchy.
The news of Messi’s fine comes shortly after FIFA slapped his Argentina teammate, Leandro Paredes, with a 10-match ban over a fight at the end of the World Cup final against Spain – with team-mate Nahuel Molina hit with a seven-game sanction.
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Paredes grabbed Spain’s Eric Garcia by the neck before punching Gavi in the face and pushing him to the ground in appalling scenes at full time.
The 32-year-old will now miss Argentina’s next ten matches and has also been fined £65,000.
