FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Lionel Messi will not be accompanied by longtime teammate Luis Suarez for Inter Miami’s potentially season-ending game on Saturday.
Major League Soccer announced Wednesday that he has been suspended for Saturday’s series-clinching playoff game against Nashville SC for his actions in Game 2 of the series last weekend, specifically his kicking of Nashville’s Andy Nahal.
Suarez was also fined an undisclosed amount, MLS said. Inter Miami’s season will end if they don’t win Game 3 of their series against Nashville on Saturday.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee announced that Suarez’s “violent conduct” in the 71st minute of a game on November 1 merited a suspension, even though he did not commit a foul on the play. Under MLS rules, the committee can unanimously agree to a suspension even if no foul is called in real time.
Suarez extended his right leg and attacked Nahal, but neither man got close to the ball.
MLS suspended Suarez earlier this season. After Inter Miami lost to the Seattle Sounders in the League Cup final on August 31, he was caught spitting on someone during a scuffle and was suspended for three league games. Leagues Cup also suspended Suarez for the next six games. MLS took action even though the action that determined the outcome of the match was not a league match.
Suarez has also been suspended three times during his career for biting opponents.
Additionally, MLS announced Wednesday that Inter Miami defender Ian Frey was fined for “violating the league’s simulation/deception policy” in last weekend’s game against Nashville. The amount of the fine was not disclosed.
Inter Miami won the first game of the series, but lost the second game in Nashville. Inter Miami failed to advance past the first round last season, losing the third game at home to Atlanta.
Messi spent years at Barcelona playing with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, as well as with Suarez, whose status after 2026 is uncertain. Suarez followed Busquets and Alba to Inter Miami after Messi surprised many in the football world by opting to sign for Inter Miami in mid-2023.
Messi has extended his contract until 2028. Busquets and Alba will retire at the end of Inter Miami’s season.
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