MLS To Fine Lionel Messi After Slap Incident

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MLS To Fine Lionel Messi After Slap Incident

Farah Ben Gamra

Sat, Aug 22, 2026 ·

2 min read

What Happened in the Slap Incident?

The confrontation began after Quinn Sullivan appeared to elbow Messi during the play. The initial contact was not penalized by the referee, but Messi reacted moments later as the two players continued their exchange.

Messi turned toward Sullivan and raised his right hand, making a quick open-handed slap or tap to the back of the Philadelphia midfielder's head/neck. The contact was brief rather than a forceful punch, but it nevertheless fell under MLS's rules prohibiting players from putting their hands on an opponent's face, head or neck.

The incident happened away from the ball and was captured on video. Although Messi was not sent off during the match, the MLS Disciplinary Committee subsequently reviewed the footage and imposed an undisclosed fine.

The decision not to suspend Messi is reportedly due to MLS's disciplinary system allows the committee to distinguish between different levels of physical misconduct, and the relatively light nature of the contact, together with the circumstances surrounding the exchange, helped determine the sanction.

Why Was Messi Not Suspended?

Leo Messi during the game between the Philadelphia Union and Inter Miami CF on August 19th, 2026 at Subaru Park. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

MLS opted for a fine rather than a suspension after assessing the severity and circumstances of the incident. The league's disciplinary framework treats contact involving an opponent's head or neck seriously, but not every such violation automatically results in a match ban.

The fact that Messi's contact was a brief open-handed slap rather than a forceful strike, combined with the preceding exchange between the two players, was relevant to the disciplinary assessment.

The fine amount remains undisclosed, consistent with MLS's general practice of keeping player fines confidential . Other players have also received undisclosed fines for disciplinary violations, so the confidentiality itself is not unique to Messi.

Meanwhile, Cavan Sullivan, Quinn's 16-year-old brother, had his red card from the same match overturned following an independent review, meaning he will not serve his original one-match suspension.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.