VID Music Group, an event promoter in Miami, has sued Lionel Messi, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), and sports executive Julian Marcos Kapelan after Messi did not play in an exhibition match last year in Miami, as Reuters reports.
VID Music Group had signed a deal with AFA last summer to promote two Argentina's friendly matches in October 2025, against Venezuela (October 10) and Puerto Rico (October 14). VID got the exclusive broadcast rights in exchange for ticketing, broadcast, and sponsorship revenue for the AFA, but VID required that Messi would play at least 30 minutes in each match, unless he was injured, because his participation was central to the commercial value of the package.
Messi did not play the match against Venezuela, as Messi was scheduled to play with Inter Miami in the MLS just the following day, and the two competitions overlapped: he scored a brace in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United. He did play in the match against Puerto Rico on October 14, recording two assists in a 6-0 victory.
Now, VID is suing AFA for breach of contract, and accuses Messi of negligent misrepresentation and conspiring with Kapelan and the AFA to induce VID into a contract under false pretences.
