Messi and the Argentine National Team face a multi-million dollar lawsuit in the United States.

Football star Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) are facing a major lawsuit in a Florida state court (USA).

Event organizer VID, a Miami-based company specializing in large-scale music and sports events, accuses both parties of contract breach and fraud, causing millions of dollars in damages. The information was reported by TMZ Sports. and quickly spread widely across the international football community.

According to the lawsuit filed on April 14, 2026, in a Southern Florida court, VID stated it signed an agreement with AFA in August 2025 and paid $7 million to secure exclusive rights to organize two friendly matches for the Argentine national team. These matches were scheduled to take place in October 2025 in Florida, against Venezuela and Puerto Rico respectively. A key clause in the contract required Lionel Messi to play at least 30 minutes in each match, unless injured.

However, VID alleges that Messi did not fulfill this commitment. Specifically, in the match against Venezuela, the 38-year-old superstar did not play despite not being injured. Instead, he watched the game from a luxury suite within the stadium. Notably, just one day later, Messi was still fit to play for Inter Miami. in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match. VID claims this action caused them severe financial losses, forcing them to scale down the event and resulting in significant losses in ticket revenue, sponsorship, and reputation.

VID describes the incident as "fraud and breach of contract." The organizer is seeking substantial compensation, though the exact amount has not been publicly disclosed. This is not the first time Messi has been involved in controversy related to his absence from heavily promoted matches.

Previously, a 2024 friendly match event in Hong Kong sparked major outrage among fans when Messi did not play, leading to refund demands. Most recently, MLS and Vancouver Whitecaps had to pay approximately $347,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit from Canadian fans due to Messi's absence from a heavily advertised match.