"He is heartless," "Should be banned for 5 games" - Fans blast Lionel Messi for chipping the ball over injured player and shooting in Inter Miami win

Lionel Messi was exposed to the irk of some fans on social media after he chipped the ball over an injured player in an attempt to score a goal for Inter Miami. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner had an assist in helping his team register a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday (February 21). However, the talking point of the game was something entirely different.

Messi picked up a loose ball in the final third during the game. In his attempt to run past players, Messi came into the way of an opponent who was lying injured on the field. He chipped the ball over the player and took his shot afterwards, which was then blocked.

Messi then produced a wry smile and the whole incident has drawn some negative reactions from the internet. Some fans believe Messi should have stopped the game when he ran into the path of the player lying injured.

Here is the video of the incident (as shared by BR Football on X):

Here is how the fans reacted to the incident on X:

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Club president explains behind surge in MLS ticket prices

The Major League Soccer (MLS) has seen ticket prices soar since Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami. Explaining the rationale behind this decision, FC Dallas president Dan Hunt said (via GOAL):

“Basically, I’ve been consistent in my messaging. This is like seeing Michael Jordan at his greatest. This is Lionel Messi still at his greatest because he won a World Cup recently, right? I mean, this is a guy who is the best in the game."

Hunt added:

"But yeah, people have this opportunity to pay and see it because you don’t know when it will stop and you should enjoy it because these are lifetime memories."

Messi has registered 11 goals and five assists in 14 games for Inter Miami and has also helped the club win their first ever trophy, the Leagues Cup in 2023.