Messi: "Opposing GK handled a back pass, ref told me he didn’t know the rule"

In an MLS regular season match, Inter Miami suffered a 0-3 defeat to Orlando City. In the 43rd minute of the first half, an Orlando City defender kicked the ball toward his own six-yard box. Goalkeeper Gallese controlled the ball and then picked it up with his hands. Messi protested to the referee, claiming Gallese had illegally handled a back pass, but the referee ignored it. Gallese then launched a long ball which led to a goal for Orlando City.

After the match, Messi said in an interview:

“I think we played a great first half. We attacked and created chances—they couldn’t stop us. The only thing they could do was play long balls. Then there was a strange play: one of their players passed the ball back to their keeper, and the referee told me he didn’t know the rule, that he didn’t understand it. That play led to a long ball and eventually a goal.”

Messi added:

“Sometimes there are critical mistakes, like in the last match. These aren’t excuses, but the refereeing is always problematic. I think Major League Soccer needs to take a closer look at the officiating.”

Despite the setback, Messi remained optimistic:

“Losing another match is painful. We’ve just gone through a string of poor results, but we must keep pushing and focus on what’s ahead. We have three or four matches left this month—we need to finish strong to be in the best shape for the Club World Cup. We have to move forward because this is a tough time, but we’ll get through it together. Now we’ll see if we’re truly a team in hard times. When everything goes well, it’s easy. But in moments like this, we need unity, to be a real team, and keep fighting. I believe in our potential, and now we need to prepare for the game against Philadelphia Union.”