Lionel Messi restrained by Luis Suarez after Inter Miami loss as footage emerges

Footage that appears to show Lionel Messi being held back by teammate Luis Suarez following Inter Miami's MLS defeat against Los Angeles FC has gone viral on social media.

On Saturday, Inter Miami began the 2026 MLS season against Los Angeles at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

It turned out to be an awful evening for Messi and Co. as they were beaten 3-0 by the hosts, thanks to goals from David Martinez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz, former Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung Min also starred for LAFC.

After the match, a video of a frustrated Messi heading towards the locker room went viral on social media.

According to STV Deportes host, Giovanni Guerrero, Messi was left furious by the referee's performance.

He wrote on social media: "Lionel Messi left the field upset with the refereeing after LAFC's 3-0 victory over Inter Miami."

The Argentine was seen following the officials but was held back by teammate Suarez, in a bid to calm the situation.

Eventually, Messi came back out of what looked like the officials' room and headed towards his own team's dressing room.

🚨🚨| BREAKING: Footage shows Lionel Messi trying to CONFRONT the referee after full-time, with Luis Suárez pulling him back to stop him entering the officials’ dressing room. 😳🇦🇷

pic.twitter.com/I85cyMkCd9

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) February 22, 2026

Speaking after the match, Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano admitted that his players have plenty to improve on.

He said: "We clearly know we have a lot to improve. We need to keep building on the positive things we’ve done, correct the mistakes we made, and keep moving forward."

Looking ahead, Inter Miami will return to MLS action next weekend, when they take on Orlando City at the Inter&Co Stadium.

In recent weeks, Messi's future has been a major topic, despite his deal with Inter Miami running until 2028.

It has been reported that Messi’s boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, are interested in signing the former Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain star next year.

The Argentine club's president, Juan Manuel Medina, told TN: "We are working on Leo playing for Newell’s in the first half of 2027."

Messi was at the Newell's Old Boys academy before moving to Barcelona's La Masia, where he developed into one of the greatest players in football history.