Lionel Messi ‘strikes private agreement’ to bypass strict MLS rule

Messi has reached an agreement to exclude himself from one particular MLS rule

The World Cup winner has made a huge impact since joining Inter Miami, helping them win the Leagues Cup and reach the final of the US Open Cup while also hoping to kickstart their league campaign.

Wednesday's 0-0 draw against Nashville was the first time Messi had failed to score or register an assist in his opening 11 games for Miami.

Given his popularity everyone wants to see a bit of Messi but he has been allowed to get away with some of the league's strict rules.

One of those includes making players conduct post-match interviews with the league's media team, or broadcast partner Apple TV.

Another rule means that before and after training sessions, players must be made available for 15 minutes each for content creation opportunities and interviews.

But according to the Daily Mail, Messi made himself unavailable for interview after Inter Miami's draw against Nashville despite a request being put in for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to do so.

However in a statement to The Athletic, an MLS spokesperson confirmed that there had been confusion over Messi's media access and that he hadn't broken any league rules.

Messi did give a post-match interview to Apple TV via a translator after his debut in the win against Cruz Azul last month.

Related links:

• Lionel Messi’s wife accidentally confuses teammate with husband
• Lionel Messi scores sensational goal on MLS debut
• David Beckham responds to claims Inter Miami’s matches are ‘fixed’