Lawsuit against Messi and the Argentine Football Association

Argentine football star Lionel Messi, who plays for Inter Miami, is facing a lawsuit in the United States after a Miami-based events company accused him of breaching a nearly $7 million contract by failing to appear at an exhibition match last year. According to court documents, Feed Music Group filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade County District Court against Messi and the Argentine Football Association (AFA), accusing both parties of fraud and breach of contract. Neither the player nor the AFA has issued an immediate official comment on the matter. The lawsuit details that the company acquired the rights to organize and promote friendly matches for the Argentine national team last October, including two against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, with the stipulation that Messi would play at least 30 minutes in each match unless injured. According to the allegations, Messi did not participate in the Venezuela match, which was held at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, and watched from the stands. He then appeared the following day with his club, Inter Miami, and scored two goals in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match. He also participated in the match against Puerto Rico, which ended in a resounding victory for Argentina, after it was moved from Chicago to Florida due to low attendance. The company confirms that it incurred significant financial losses as a result of Messi's absence from one match and the decline in ticket sales for another, without specifying the amount of compensation sought.