Lionel Messi, Argentine Football Association sued by Miami-based events firm over friendly match dispute

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Lionel Messi did not play in Argentina's friendly match against Venezuela in Miami last year.

FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) attempts a shot on goal during the first half of a friendly soccer match against Puerto Rico, Oct. 14, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)

Argentina football star Lionel Messi seems to have landed himself in trouble. Vid Music Group, a Miami-based events company, has filed a lawsuit against Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association regarding the former Barcelona star's failure to play in a friendly match against Venezuela at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium in October last year.

He skipped that match, opting to watch the match from a luxury suite at the stadium instead.

According to the lawsuit, Lionel Messi breached a $7 million contract requiring him to play in Argentina's friendly against Venezuela. The company claimed that they suffered significant financial losses due to Messi's absence from the match.

Details about the deal Vid had signed with Lionel Messi

Vid had signed a deal with the Argentine Football Association last year, under which they would promote Argentina's friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. This was in exchange for ticket, sponsorship and broadcast revenue. Vid had claimed that under the contract, Messi was supposed to play for at least 30 minutes, unless he was injured.

"The complaint states that the anticipated participation of Lionel Messi constituted a material term of the agreements, forming a central component of the contracts and directly tied to the commercial viability of the matches," Ralph Patino, VID Music Group's counsel, said via a statement as per ESPN.

The Argentina vs Venezuela match took place in Miami on 10 October, and the next day, Messi scored a brace in Inter Miami's 4-0 win over Atlanta in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Messi, though, played in Argentina's friendly against Puerto Rico in Miami. That match was supposed to take place in Chicago, but low ticket sales forced the organisers to move the match to Miami.

The AFA blamed immigration crackdowns for the much smaller venue at Fort Lauderdale in Miami not selling out. This was even after the ticket prices were slashed to $25 per head.

Lionel Messi will be one of Argentina's key players at the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico later this year. Argentina are the defending champion of the FIFA World Cup, having beaten France in the 2022 final in Qatar. For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina are in Group J, along with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.

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