Messi faces lawsuit in Miami for fraud

Argentine football star Lionel Messi is facing a lawsuit in Miami-Dade County Court in Florida, accusing him of fraud and breach of contract related to a friendly match held in the United States in 2025, according to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press.

The reports stated that VID Music Group, a Miami-based events and promotion company, filed the lawsuit against Messi, the Argentine Football Association, and sports marketing executive Julian Marcos Capelan, accusing all three parties of fraud, deception, and breach of contract.

Contract conditional on Messi’s participation

According to Reuters, the company signed an agreement with the Argentine Football Association in the summer of 2025, granting it exclusive rights to organise two friendly matches for the Argentine national team against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in October, in exchange for ticket sales, broadcasting rights, and sponsorship.

Court documents, according to the Associated Press, indicate that the contract included a clause obligating Messi to play at least 30 minutes in each match, unless injured, as his presence was considered “the essential element of commercial value” and “the main economic driver” of the event.

Reuters reported that Messi did not participate in the match against Venezuela, held on October 10 at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida, and watched from the stands, despite being in the stadium.

However, the player played the very next day with his club, Inter Miami, and scored two goals, before later appearing with the Argentine national team against Puerto Rico. The company, according to the Associated Press, considered this evidence that he was not injured and therefore unable to play in the first match.

Allegations of losses and misinformation

Reuters reported that the company accuses Messi, the Argentine Football Association, and Capelan of conspiring to push through the agreement “based on misleading information,” noting that the player’s absence from one of the matches resulted in financial losses due to decreased attendance and marketing value.

According to the Associated Press, the lawsuit also includes allegations of breach of commitments related to other matches proposed in the United States during 2026, while Capelan faces separate fraud charges.

No verdict has yet been issued in the case, which remains pending before the Miami-Dade County Court. The allegations remain within the scope of the lawsuit, awaiting the outcome of the legal proceedings.

The case has garnered significant attention in sports and media circles, given the considerable influence Messi’s name has on the commercial value of friendly matches, particularly in the American market.

Featured image via Hausa