Lionel Messi is eligible for Inter Miami CF's match against the New England Revolution on Sunday despite receiving his fifth yellow card of the season on Wednesday. Messi was booked in the 44th minute of Miami's 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati at Nu Stadium, bringing his seasonal total to five. The Inter Miami captain was also flagged during match weeks eight, 11, 20, 31 and 33.
MLS rules state that a player will automatically reduce his yellow card accumulation total by one each time he appears in five consecutive matches without receiving a yellow card, red card or supplemental discipline. The league's good behavior incentive is applied a maximum of three times throughout the regular season. Messi went more than five games without receiving a yellow card, pardoning his previous booking. Though the yellow card remains on Messi's disciplinary record, it no longer counts toward a suspension.
Inter Miami head coach Cristian González said the team no longer has a margin of error when dropping points during the regular season as they chase Concacaf Champions Cup qualification. "I am convinced that the frustration we're feeling, much like after the previous match, must make us stronger, because we no longer have any margin for error," González said Wednesday after the draw with Cincinnati. "We need to realize that we are a club that must step up, take risks, be bold, and play football without the fear of making mistakes."
Inter Miami sits in third place in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind the Revs. Regardless of the outcome, both teams have already qualified for the 2026 MLS playoffs, but Miami's spot in next season's Champions Cup will depend largely on Sunday's match. The winners of MLS Cup, the Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup, MLS Supportors' Shield and the league's Eastern and Western Conference champions each earn a Champions Cup spot. With Nashville having secured the Supporters' Shield, second place in the East will claim one of the automatic spots, making this penultimate game of the season crucial for both sides.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing