Lionel Messi is confronting legal proceedings after a Miami-based sports and entertainment promoter filed a lawsuit alleging he breached a contractual agreement tied to Argentina’s international friendly matches, according to reports.
The plaintiff, a company named VID, claims it had secured exclusive rights to organise two Argentine exhibition matches — against Venezuela and Puerto Rico — under a deal reportedly valued at approximately $7 million. Central to the agreement was a clause mandating that Messi appear on the pitch for a minimum of 30 minutes in each fixture, with an exemption applicable only in the event of injury.
Messi was present at the stadium in Miami for the Venezuela friendly but did not feature in the match, instead watching proceedings from the stands. VID contends that his non-participation directly undermined both attendance figures and commercial returns, given that his involvement was widely regarded as the primary commercial draw for the events.
The promoter’s case gained an additional dimension when Messi returned to action the very next day, representing Inter Miami in an MLS fixture in which he scored twice. That sequence of events has been cited by VID as evidence that his absence from the Venezuela friendly was not injury-related, strengthening their breach of contract argument.
Further complications arose in connection with the Puerto Rico match. Although Messi did feature in that fixture, VID alleges that the game was relocated from Chicago to Florida without adequate justification, a change the company claims resulted in additional financial losses surpassing $1 million.
The lawsuit also encompasses allegations of fraud. VID states that assurances of future compensation — reportedly in the form of exhibition matches to be held in China — were made but never honoured. The company is seeking damages on both fraud and breach of contract grounds, potentially exposing Messi and the Argentine Football Association to a substantial financial liability.
Neither Messi nor the Argentine FA had issued a full public response to the allegations at the time of reporting, and the legal process is expected to be protracted.
The case represents a notable off-field development for the 37-year-old, who joined Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 and has since become the most prominent figure in Major League Soccer. Argentina, under head coach Lionel Scaloni, remain the reigning FIFA World Cup champions following their triumph at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The involvement of the Argentine Football Association alongside Messi as a named party suggests the dispute extends beyond individual conduct to encompass the broader contractual obligations of the national federation. The outcome of the case could carry wider implications for how international friendly agreements between football associations and private event promoters are structured and enforced.
