Lionel Messi and Argentina FA face lawsuit over missed friendly match
Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) are facing a lawsuit for fraud and breach of contract after the forward missed an international friendly against Venezuela last year.
American promotional company VID claims they signed a £5.3m ($7m) deal with the AFA for exclusive rights to two exhibition matches last October.
The Miami-based promoters allege the agreement stipulated that the Argentina captain must play a minimum of 30 minutes in each fixture unless injured.
However, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner did not feature against Venezuela at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, instead watching the victory from a suite alongside his family.
Inter Miami appearance fuels dispute
VID asserts that they financed the stadium suite used by the former Barcelona star during the fixture.
The dispute is further complicated by the forward’s involvement in a domestic club match the following day.
The veteran attacker scored twice for Inter Miami during a 4-0 Major League Soccer victory over Atlanta United.
He subsequently returned to international duty days later, participating in Argentina’s 6-0 win against Puerto Rico.
Venue changes and financial losses
The promotional firm claims they lost more than $1m when the Puerto Rico fixture was unexpectedly relocated.
That match was moved from Chicago’s 61,500-capacity Soldier Field to the significantly smaller Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
While an AFA executive reportedly attributed the relocation to immigration crackdowns in Chicago, local officials have blamed poor ticket sales.
VID claims the AFA promised to compensate for the situation by organising replacement matches in China this year.
Those proposed fixtures have failed to materialise amidst a congested international calendar, leading the promoters to seek full financial reimbursement.
Representatives for the World Cup winner and the AFA have yet to comment publicly on the legal proceedings.
