Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Lionel Messi, MLS
Josh Lawless
Lionel Messi broke MLS rules after finally making his league debut for Inter Miami and marking it with a goal.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had only played in cup competitions for the Herons until last night, when he came off the bench to score in a 2-0 win over New York Red Bulls.
The result moved Inter off the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference and into 14th place after a first league win in 12 games.
Advert
Dario Gomez put Inter 1-0 up before Messi, who entered the fray on the hour mark, sealed the win late on in the 89th minute.
It was a tap-in in the end but the actual move beforehand was poetry in motion stuff, with Messi picking out Benjamin Cremaschsi's run with an inexplicable pass in behind.
But it's been reported that Messi was actually guilty of violating MLS rules after his first game in the competition.
Advert
Over in the United States, players are expected to be available for post-match interviews and speak to reporters. At one point, journalists were even allowed in the changing rooms to conduct interviews.
But despite Dan Courtemanche, MLS's executive vice president of communications, saying that Messi will still have the same media obligations, he was not put up for interviews.
As per the Associated Press, Miami spokesperson Molly Dreska told journalists that Messi, who is not fluent in English, would not be available on this occasion.
Advert
He did recently take part in a press conference, as well as a one-on-one interview with Luis Miguel Echegaray of ESPN.
But it seems though Messi, comfortably the league's biggest star, could be exempt from usual MLS protocol.
The former Barcelona superstar has scored 11 times in his first nine games for the Florida outfit but manager Martino believes the team must found a way to play without their star man.
Advert
"The important thing is we value winning and winning this way because it's something we have to be accustomed to," Martino said, as per the Daily Mail.
"Leo is going to miss at least 3 games - he's going to get called up by his national team (Argentina have World Cup qualifiers in September, October and November).
"And others too and we know the team needs to continue to win in these times."