Messi and Don Garber Have Tense Confrontation After Inter Miami Title

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami celebrated another championship, but the night ended with an unexpected scene.

The Herons defeated Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the 2026 Campeones Cup, a historic night for the Argentine, who also reached 100 goals in an Inter Miami jersey.

However, during the award ceremony, Messi was involved in a tense exchange with Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber.

Messi and Don Garber Have Tense Exchange During Celebration

Cameras captured the Inter Miami captain approaching the commissioner while wearing his champion’s medal.

Messi appeared visibly upset, pointed at Garber with his finger, and spoke to him emphatically.

Later, the commissioner tried to approach the Argentine again, but Messi avoided continuing the exchange while celebrating with his teammates.

The scene quickly began circulating on social media and raised questions about what happened between one of MLS’s biggest stars and the league’s top executive.

Why Was Messi Upset With Don Garber?

The strong anger of Messi with Don Garber, the MLS Commissioner 🤬 pic.twitter.com/Xetpx4uhVW

— Diario Olé (@DiarioOle) September 17, 2026

So far, neither Messi nor Garber has publicly explained what exactly prompted the exchange.

For that reason, any explanation about the cause of the confrontation remains speculative.

One precedent between the two came in 2025, when Messi decided not to participate in the MLS All-Star Game and later received a one-game suspension under league rules.

The frustration the Argentine has shown on different occasions with refereeing decisions in MLS has also been mentioned.

However, there is no confirmation that any of these episodes specifically prompted his complaint during the award ceremony.

Messi Reached 100 Goals With the Team

Before the controversial episode, Messi had once again been decisive on the field.

The Argentine opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a header after an assist from Luis Suárez. With that goal, he reached 100 goals for Inter Miami.

Casemiro sealed the victory in the 81st minute with another header, this time from a corner taken by Messi.

The victory allowed Inter Miami to win the Campeones Cup for the first time and continue adding titles since the Argentine star arrived in 2023.

But after a night of celebration, one of the images that generated the most attention was the unexpected confrontation between Messi and Don Garber.

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