MLS Fines Messi for Incident with Philadelphia Player

Argentine star Lionel Messi has been fined by Major League Soccer due to an incident involving an altercation with a Philadelphia player during Inter Miami's recent match.

The Disciplinary Committee has decided to impose a financial fine on Messi, without disclosing the amount, after Lionel Messi slapped a Philadelphia player from behind without the ball during the match that ended in a 2-2 draw.

The incident occurred in the final minutes of the match, when Messi got into a scuffle with Philadelphia's Quinn Sullivan, before striking him in the face, amidst a tense atmosphere between the players of both teams.

The referee was away from the incident when it occurred and did not show any card to Messi. In the final minutes, another clash resulted in the sending off of Kavan Sullivan, brother of Quinn and his teammate at Philadelphia, along with Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Braithwaite.

Messi's punishment comes at a time when he had successfully regained his scoring rhythm, having netted a goal during the match, which was his first since the passing of his father, Jorge Messi, on August 8.