Vid Music Group initiated the legal action for fraud and breach of contract against Messi and the Argentine Football Association in Miami-Dade circuit court last month, as stated in court documents.
Both Messi and the AFA did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Messi competes with his Major League Soccer team Inter Miami and Argentina’s national squad, and fans consistently pay significantly higher prices for the opportunity to watch him play.
The lawsuit asserts that Vid finalized a deal with the AFA last summer for exclusive rights to organize and promote Argentina’s friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico last October in return for ticket, broadcast, and sponsorship income. Vid alleges that Messi was expected to play at least 30 minutes in each match unless he was injured.
According to the lawsuit, the 38-year-old Messi observed Argentina’s 1-0 victory against Venezuela on October 10 from a suite at South Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium.
The following day, Messi netted two goals in Inter Miami’s 4-0 MLS victory over Atlanta. This match was crucial for Inter Miami, as it provided them with home-field advantage for Round 1 of the playoffs.
On October 14, Messi participated in Argentina’s 6-0 triumph over Puerto Rico. This game was originally scheduled to occur in Chicago, but due to low ticket sales in a city where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted over 1,000 arrests, organizers relocated the event to Florida. The AFA attributed the poor ticket sales at the smaller venue in Fort Lauderdale to the immigration enforcement, even after reducing ticket prices to $25.
Vid has not detailed the damages they are seeking in the lawsuit, but they assert that they incurred millions in losses due to Messi’s absence in one game and poor ticket sales at the other.
First Published: Apr 16, 2026 3:56 PM IST
