By Inter Miami star Lionel Messi expressed his frustration with the new Major League Soccer (MLS) rule that requires an injured player to leave the field for two minutes, following his team’s thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Montréal on Saturday night.
The Argentine forward was forced off the pitch in the 40th minute after being fouled by Montréal defender George Campbell, who escaped without receiving a yellow card for the incident.
The new MLS regulations state that “If the referee stops play due to a potential player injury in which the player remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds and the medical staff enters the field of play, the player may be required to leave the field of play for two minutes.” This meant that Messi had to leave the pitch at a crucial moment, just as Inter Miami was awarded a free kick in a prime scoring position.
During his brief absence, Messi turned to the camera and angrily shook his head, expressing his disdain for the rule. “These types of rules…it’s going bad,” he said after the match.
Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino echoed Messi’s sentiments, stating, “There are situations that must be revised. In Leo’s situation, he was clearly fouled. The player deserved a yellow card, which would mean Messi would’ve never left the field for two minutes.
As I understand it, the team that suffered the foul was punished. With these new rule changes, there are situations that must be revised. The infraction was clear and was a yellow card, and ultimately it was us that lost Leo for two minutes.”
The team faced another challenge related to the new MLS rules when Luis Suárez was substituted for Leo Campana in the 92nd minute. Suárez took more than 10 seconds to exit the field, forcing the fourth referee to delay the substitution for one minute and leaving Inter Miami with 10 men in the final moments of the match.
Martino commented on the incident, saying, “In the case of Suárez, we had a very important difference with the fourth referee in respect to the minute. We thought Suárez exited the pitch in under a minute, he did not see it that way and so Leo Campana’s entry to the game was delayed.”
The MLS rule states that “If multiple substitutions are made at the same time by a team, each player leaving the match must leave the field of play within 10 seconds of the Fourth Official raising the substitution board for the final change.”
Despite the controversial moments, Inter Miami’s victory solidified their position atop the Eastern Conference table with 27 points from 13 games and an impressive 8-2-3 (W-L-D) record.
The team showcased their resilience by overcoming a two-goal deficit, with Matias Rojas and Luis Suárez scoring in quick succession just before halftime to level the score, and Benjamin Cremaschi netting the winner in the 58th minute.
As the MLS continues to implement new rules aimed at improving the flow of the game, players and coaches are adjusting to the changes and voicing their opinions when they feel the regulations are negatively impacting the match.
Messi’s criticism of the injury rule and Martino’s comments on the substitution delay highlight the ongoing discussions surrounding these new measures and the need for potential revisions to ensure fairness and player safety.
