Lionel Messi faces $7 million fraud lawsuit as Florida promoter alleges huge losses after Argentina star skipped Venezuela exhibition match Lionel Messi is now facing a legal dispute in the United States after a Florida-based company filed a lawsuit alleging he caused significant financial losses by skipping a scheduled exhibition match. The lawsuit, filed by VID, a Miami-based promoter of sports and music events, claims Messi’s absence from a Venezuela game led to substantial damages. According to TMZ, VID had signed a $7 million deal with the Argentine Football Association for two exhibition matches in October. These matches were planned against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. The agreement required Messi to play at least 30 minutes in both games unless he was injured. However, Messi did not appear in the Venezuela match at Hard Rock Stadium, prompting VID to accuse him of breaching the contract. VID alleges that Messi’s failure to participate in the Venezuela game, despite being fit to play, caused the event to lose value and revenue. The company further claims that Messi played the following day for Inter Miami CF, scoring two goals against Atlanta United, which they argue proves he was physically capable of participating in the Venezuela match. Additionally, VID states it paid for a private suite for Messi and his family to watch the game, even though he did not take to the field. The promoter asserts that the missed match led to losses exceeding $1 million, citing a venue change as a contributing factor. The Venezuela match was originally scheduled to take place in Chicago but was moved to Fort Lauderdale due to poor ticket sales. VID claims the decision to relocate the event was made without their input, leading to confusion about responsibility.#miami #lionel_messi #inter_miami_cf #argentine_football_association #vid
