“The referee told me he didn’t know the rule” - Lionel Messi accusses referee of making mistake as Inter Miami lose 3-0 to Orlando City

Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi said that the referee didn't know the backpass rule, which led to a goal, as the Herons slumped to a 3-0 MLS home defeat to Orlando City on Sunday (May 18).

The visitors took the lead at the Chase Stadium through Luis Muriel two minutes before half-time. Marco Palasic put Orlando two goals to the good eight minutes into the second period before Dagur Dan Porhallsson rubber-stamped the Florida Derby win in added time. One of those goals came from an Orlando player initiating the play by passing to his own goalkeeper.

“I think we had a great first half, we were attacking, creating chances, and they couldn’t get out. All they could do was play long balls,” Messi told Apple TV+ (as per Bola VIP).

“Then there was a strange play in which one of their players passed the ball back to the goalkeeper. The referee told me he didn’t know the rule, that he didn’t understand it. From that play came a long ball and their goal."

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner urged MLS to improve the officiating without offering excuses for the Herons' loss.

"Sometimes there are crucial mistakes, like in the last match. These aren’t excuses, but there’s always something with the referees. I think MLS needs to take a closer look at the officiating.”

Following the loss, Javier Mascherano's side dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference, trailing leaders Philadelphia (29) by seven points but have a game in hand.

Lionel Messi's 2025 season for Inter Miami by the numbers

Lionel Messi has had a decent start to his second full season with Inter Miami, whom he had joined on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 following nearly two decades in European football.

After missing large swathes of the previous campaign due to injury, the 37-year-old has been relatively healthy this term, racking up 10 goals and three assists in 16 games across competitions.

Five of those goals and two assists have come in nine outings in MLS, where the Herons - as mentioned above - have work to do to catch up with the early pacesetters.

Messi has also netted five times - and provided an assist - in seven outings in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where the Herons lost 5-1 on aggregate to Vancouver in the semi-finals.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav