04/15/26 03:46:00
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04/15 15:44 CDT Lionel Messi accused of breaching $7 million contract by
sitting out a Florida soccer friendly
Lionel Messi accused of breaching $7 million contract by sitting out a Florida
soccer friendly
MIAMI (AP) --- Lionel Messi is being sued by a Miami-based event promoter who
says the soccer icon violated terms of a $7 million contract by missing an
exhibition match last year.
Vid Music Group filed the lawsuit for fraud and breach of contract against
Messi and the Argentine Football Association in Miami-Dade circuit court last
month, according to court records.
Messi and the AFA didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Considered one of the greatest soccer players ever, Messi appears with both his
Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and Argentina's national team, and fans
routinely pay much higher prices for the chance to see him play.
According to the lawsuit, Vid signed a deal with the AFA last summer for
exclusive rights to organize and promote Argentina's friendlies last October
against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in exchange for ticket, broadcast and
sponsorship revenue. Vid claims that Messi was supposed to play for at least 30
minutes in each match, unless he was injured.
The 38-year-old Messi watched Argentina's 1-0 win against Venezuela on Oct. 10
from a suite at South Florida's Hard Rock Stadium, according to the lawsuit.
The next day, Messi scored two goals in Inter Miami's 4-0 MLS win over Atlanta.
That match was important to Inter Miami, since it gave them home-field
advantage for Round 1 of the playoffs.
Then, on Oct. 14, Messi played in Argentina's 6-0 win over Puerto Rico. That
game was originally supposed to take place in Chicago, but low ticket sales in
the city where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were making more than
1,000 arrests led organizers to move the game to Florida. AFA blamed the
immigration crackdowns when the smaller venue in Fort Lauderdale didn't sell
out, even after ticket prices were reduced to $25 each.
Vid hasn't specified damages they're seeking in the lawsuit, but they claim
they lost millions between Messi failing to appear in one game and low ticket
sales at the other.
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