What we know about the $7 million lawsuit against Lionel Messi and the Argentina Football Association
A Miami-based company sued Messi and the AFA over the matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico last year.
Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) are facing a lawsuit for fraud and breach of contract linked to two international friendlies played against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in October of last year.
According to a report from TMZ Sports, which reviewed court documents, Miami-based company VID claims it lost millions of dollars after the Argentine star and the AFA failed to meet the terms of their agreement.
The company, which filed the lawsuit on April 14, alleges that in August of last year it agreed to pay $7 million to the Argentine Football Association for exclusive rights to the games against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. However, the deal was not fulfilled.
Messi was contractually required to play
VID claims that Messi was contractually obligated to play at least 30 minutes in each game, unless he was injured. The company alleges that he breached that agreement by not playing in the October 10, 2025 match against Venezuela, instead watching from a suite at Hard Rock Stadium with his family.
Following the game, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said the decision was his. “I decided that Leo wouldn’t play. We wanted to try Lautaro and Julián up front,” he explained at the time.
The plaintiff argues that Messi was not injured, pointing to the fact that he played the following day in Major League Soccer. On October 11, Inter Miami faced Atlanta United, with Messi playing the full 90 minutes and scoring twice in a 4–0 win.
Losses mount despite Messi’s appearance in second game
In Argentina’s second friendly, against Puerto Rico on October 14, 2025, Messi played the full match and provided two assists in a 6–0 victory. Even so, VID claims it lost more than $1 million after being forced to reschedule and relocate the game from Chicago, Illinois, to Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The venue change was attributed to protests related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the deployment of federal troops in the city.
The company also alleges that the AFA promised to make up for the issues with a future match against China in 2026, which never materialized. While the exact amount sought in damages has not been disclosed, VID is seeking to recover all losses. Neither the AFA nor Messi’s representatives have responded to TMZ’s requests for comment.
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