A new controversy is plaguing Argentine football. Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) were sued in the state of Florida, United States, in a case of alleged fraud and breach of contract linked to two friendly matches played
at the end of 2025.
As reported by TMZ Sports, the complaint was filed by the Miami-based company VID, which claims to have suffered millions of dollars in losses after the organization of the Argentine national team's matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. According to the claim, the firm paid about $7 million for the exclusive rights to both commitments
.
The axis of the conflict lies in the first of these commitments: the match against Vinotinto at the Hard Rock Stadium. According to the contract, Messi had to play for at least 30 minutes in each game, except in case of injury.
However, the captain didn't add up minutes and watched the match from a stage, which, according to the company, directly affected the commercial value of the event, generating ticket returns and the fall of advertising agreements.
After that game, coach Lionel Scaloni explained the decision: “I decided that Leo would not play. We wanted to test Lautaro and Julián
upstairs.” In addition, the 10th he played the next day against Atlanta United, a game in which he played all 90 minutes and scored a double. Because of this, the plaintiff assures that Rosario was not injured and was fitto play against the Venezuelans.
On the other hand, the second friendly against Puerto Rico is also part of the claim. Although Messi played the entire game and gave two assists, the company maintains that it suffered losses of more than one million dollars due to the change of venue, which moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale due to logistical problems and a context of protests in
the original city. Messi didn't play against Venezuela, but he did play against Puerto Rico
In addition, another central point of the complaint is an alleged commitment by the AFA to compensate for the damages by organizing future international parties, including one in China in 2026, something that ultimately failed
to materialize.
So far, neither Messi's environment nor the AFA have ruled on the case, which remained in the hands of the US justice system and could result in a million-dollar claim for damages. In addition, it opens a debate on the so-called "participation clauses" in exhibition events, where the presence of big figures is often decisive for the business
