MLS to decide if Lionel Messi will be sanctioned for hitting Quinn Sullivan in Inter Miami draw

Lionel Messi could be facing discipline from MLS after a late-game incident overshadowed Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.

After leading 2-1, Neil Pierre equalized in the 58th minute, with tensions on the pitch already starting to rise. Right after the equalizer, Messi had an exchange with Quinn Sullivan in which he appeared to swing a slap that caught him on the neck.

According to journalist José Armando of Deporte Total USA, the committee is expected to hand down a financial penalty, though league rules technically allow for a match suspension as well.

Should Messi be suspended, he would miss Inter Miami’s next fixture against Toronto FC on Saturday, a game the Herons can ill afford to be without their captain for given their recent form.

A heated game finish

Tensions on the pitch kept escalating until the final whistle. Deep into stoppage time, a scuffle broke out after Miami defender Ian Fray made contact with Philadelphia’s Quinn Sullivan, who shoved back in response.

Quinn’s brother, Cavan Sullivan, stepped in to defend him, and as the confrontation escalated, Yannick Bright got involved to back up his teammates and ended up tangling with Cavan.

Both Cavan Sullivan and Bright were sent off in the fracas, while Quinn Sullivan picked up a yellow card for his role in sparking it. With the Disciplinary Committee’s ruling still pending, all eyes now turn to whether Messi will be cleared in time to face Toronto, or whether the incident will cost Inter Miami their captain at a pivotal point in the MLS regular season.

Inter Miami’s Supporters’ Shield hopes take a hit

The draw also complicates Inter Miami’s pursuit of the Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the club with the best regular-season record. The Herons now trail Nashville SC, who lead the standings by five points, and the gap only grows more concerning after a stretch that’s produced three straight losses and now a draw.

Miami’s schedule doesn’t get any easier from here, with Toronto FC up next on Saturday, followed by CF Montréal on August 29, Atlanta United on September 5, Chicago Fire on September 9, and a rematch with Nashville itself on September 12, a stretch that could either close the gap at the top or push the Shield further out of reach.