Messi and Argentina FA Face Lawsuit Over Alleged Fraud in Exhibition Matches

Global football superstar Lionel Messi and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) are currently facing legal action over allegations of fraud and contract violation stemming from two exhibition matches. A company known as VID, which specialises in promoting major sports and music events, lodged a lawsuit on Tuesday against the football icon and the AFA.

The court filing alleges that VID had secured exclusive rights for two friendly matches involving Argentina, scheduled to take place in October against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. According to the lawsuit, Messi was contractually bound to play for at least 30 minutes in both games, unless incapacitated by injury.

VID reportedly paid the AFA $7 million as part of the agreement. However, the superstar player did not feature in either match. For the game on October 11th at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, Messi reportedly watched from a suite, opting to conserve himself for Inter Miami's subsequent MLS regular season finale the following night.

The legal complaint further states that the planned friendly against Puerto Rico had to be relocated from Chicago's Soldier Field to Fort Lauderdale, the previous home ground of Inter Miami. This relocation, the lawsuit claims, resulted in financial losses exceeding $1 million for VID.

While a spokesperson for the Chicago Park District, Luca Serra, informed the Associated Press that the venue change was initiated by the promoter due to lower-than-expected ticket sales, the suit contends that the AFA assured VID that a future game against China in 2026 would compensate for the issues, a match that has apparently not materialised.

This is not the first instance where Messi's participation in matches has led to legal challenges. Earlier this year, Major League Soccer and the Vancouver Whitecaps reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit. Fans had alleged they were misled by promotional materials suggesting Messi and other prominent Inter Miami players would participate in a match on May 25, 2024.