Messi and Suarez given 'neck-grabbing' penalty

The Disciplinary Committee of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier football league in the United States, has imposed fines on Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

MLS has not disclosed the amount of the penalty it imposed on two South American players for "handling an opponent's face/head/neck" in Inter Miami's 2-2 draw with New York City FC on Sunday.

Argentinian star Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or award 8 times, grabbed a member of the opposing team's technical staff by the neck, while Uruguayan star Suarez grabbed his opponent Birk Risa by the neck during an argument during halftime.

The former Barcelona teammates were reunited at US club Inter Miami a year apart, Messi in 2023 and Suarez in 2024.