Fans claim Lionel Messi is not ‘a nice guy’ following tense moment with MLS commissioner Don Garber

Lionel Messi’s tense exchange with MLS commissioner Don Garber following Inter Miami’s Campeones Cup triumph has sparked plenty of reaction online.

Messi was seen approaching Garber twice after Miami lifted the trophy, with the footage showing an animated conversation between the pair.

The incident came moments after Messi had helped Inter Miami beat Cruz Azul 2-0, scoring his 100th goal for the club before setting up Casemiro for the second goal.

Fans have mixed views on Lionel Messi’s exchange with Don Garber

The footage quickly divided fans, with some defending Messi for speaking up while others criticised what they saw as another complaint from the Inter Miami captain.

One fan was particularly critical, writing: “Messi has never been a nice guy and never will be. He’s complaining about the refs no longer giving him free passes. He doesn’t care about what Garber does or doesn’t do to better the league.”

Another supporter offered a different interpretation of the exchange, writing: “the way he’s gesturing tho… messi doesn’t lose his composure for nothing. garber probably said something about the refereeing or contract stuff that hit different after a win. men in suits always think they can talk down to players and messi wasn’t having it, respect the confidence”

A third fan defended Messi’s position as Inter Miami captain: “He’s the captain, nothing wrong to complain about mistreatment that the team has constantly received. People otherwise would say he is softie as captain if he didn’t speak up.”

Garber also came in for criticism, with one supporter writing: “Idk why people defend Don Garber when he’s one of the main people responsible for the stagnation of growth in mls and American footy as a whole, we’d be way better off with him completely out of the American soccer world, whether certain people like to admit it or not”

However, not everyone was on Messi’s side. One fan simply wrote: “Messi is always complaining, it’s annoying at this point”

Fans claim Lionel Messi is not

Another took the opposite view entirely, saying: “Garber needs to bow down Messi is responsible for people outside the United States who know what MLS even is.”

The final reaction was much shorter, with one fan simply calling Messi: “Lill’ dictator 😂”

The exact subject of the exchange between Messi and Garber was not established in the footage, leaving fans to interpret the animated moment for themselves.

Read more: