MLS punishes Messi, Suarez and Alba confrontations

In many ways, the 2024 MLS campaign was a successful one for Inter Miami. In the first full season with Lionel Messi and the ex-Barcelona superstars in the team, the Herons stormed the to Supporters' Shield title and broke the single-season MLS points record.

However the season came crashing to a halt in the postseason with a shock Round One loss to Atlanta United. Now, the veteran stars look ready for the fight in 2025.

This week Jordi Alba became the latest to receive a stern telling off from the league, being hit with a fine for violating the league’s "hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy” in last weekend’s victory over Houston Dynamo. Alba was caught with a late tackle in the dying minutes of the game and reacted sharply.

He is the latest to be punished for that exact infringement after Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez did the same the previous week. They were both fined for their roles in confrontations in Miami’s opening day dray with New York City FC.

Although they overstepped the line, the enduring competitive instinct of Messi, Suarez and Alba will have some positives for head coach Javier Mascherano ahead of a busy 2025 calendar. The top target for the Herons is, undoubtedly, MLS Cup, but there’s plenty more on the agenda.

Inter Miami will be one of two MLS representatives at the 2025 Club World Cup on home soil, while they will also be entered into the Leagues Cup. It was that MLS-Liga MX competition that Messi debuted in for the Herons and led them to victory within his first few weeks with the team.

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