Lionel Messi is being sued for FRAUD by a Florida promoter, reports suggest.
VID, a Miami-based company that specialises in putting on sports and music events, are suing Messi and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for an alleged breach of contract.
According to TMZ, the firm claims they lost out on millions of dollars due to the 38-year-old superstar not appearing during a friendly match last year, and want reimbursing for all the money they lost and more.
VID had reportedly signed a deal with the AFA worth £5.1million ($7m) for exclusive rights to two exhibition matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, which took place in October last year.
The suit claims eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was required to play at least 30 minutes in both games unless he was injured.
Messi failed to appear against Venezuela in the match at Hard Rock Stadium, but then played for Inter Miami the following day, scoring twice against Atalanta United.
VID claim they paid for a suite used by Messi and his family to watch the clash.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star did go on to play the match against Puerto Rico, registering two assists in a 6-0 win.
But VID claim they lost more than £737,000 ($1million) due to the stadium being moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale.
Blame for the decision was placed in different areas by the AFA and officials in Chicago.
VID also claim the AFA promised to rectify the situation with games against China, but those matches have not materialised.
Only last month, Major League Soccer and Vancouver Whitecaps settled a Messi-related class-action lawsuit over “misleading promotional material”.
Both the league and club, who denied liability of milking expectations for big names like Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, only for them not to travel, were ordered to pay £242,000 ($329,000) in damages.
Messi arrived in America to play for David Beckham‘s MLS franchise in 2023.
Since then, he has scored 83 goals in 96 games in all competitions, winning the 2023 Leagues Cup, 2024 Supporters Shield and 2025 MLS Cup.
It is expected that Messi will lead his nation’s defence of the World Cup they won in Qatar in 2022.
Messi, who has admitted he doesn’t see himself as a coach, penned a fresh three-year deal with Inter that will take his playing days up to his 41st birthday.