Messi’s ‘No’ to MLS commissioner during title celebration

Lionel Messi won the 49th trophy of his professional career after leading Inter Miami to their first Campeones Cup title. But amid the celebrations, the Argentine star appeared to have a heated exchange with MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

After Inter Miami beat Mexican club Cruz Azul 2-0 on Thursday, Messi was seen confronting Garber twice before receiving the trophy. On both occasions, Messi appeared visibly annoyed. Garber approached him and said something, but it was unclear what was said. Messi’s response appeared to be a firm “No.”

Messi later encountered Garber again while leaving the stage after taking photos with his teammates. He appeared to tell the commissioner, “Not with me,” although the audio was unclear.

Argentine outlet TyC Sports linked the incident to an earlier dispute between the two over Messi’s decision to miss the 2025 MLS All-Star Game.

Messi had decided not to play after a busy schedule, having played nine matches in 30 days. However, MLS rules required players to take part in the All-Star Game unless they had prior approval from the league. Messi was subsequently suspended for one match.