Another break? Messi can play despite five yellow cards
The Argentine will be available against New England thanks to a rule that reduces card accumulation. The boost arrives just as Inter Miami need a win to stay in the race for second place in the East.
Messi received his fifth yellow card of the season and will still be able to play the next game. The caution came in Inter Miami's 2–2 draw with Cincinnati, but the Argentine will be available for the trip to the New England Revolution on Sunday, November 1.
The timing could hardly be better for Miami. The team has 56 points, two fewer than their next opponent, and a win would keep alive their push for second place in the Eastern Conference and improve their chances of reaching the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The rule that saves him
How does Messi avoid a suspension after five cards? The answer lies in the good-behavior incentive in the MLS rulebook.
The rule states that a player automatically has one yellow card removed from his total when he plays five consecutive matches without receiving a yellow, a red or any additional disciplinary sanction. He can benefit from that reduction up to three times during the regular season.
That is why there is a difference between the cards that show up in the stats and the ones that count toward a suspension. All five cautions remain on Messi's record, but the reductions he has earned keep his disciplinary tally below the threshold that forces a player to sit out.
The provision is especially useful for Miami's biggest star in the home stretch. It also shows why looking only at the number of yellow cards can lead to the wrong conclusion.
Special treatment?
There is an important precedent to weigh: the same rule was already written into the 2022 rulebook, before Messi arrived at Inter Miami. It applies to any player who meets the conditions.
The sporting relief, however, is real. Miami are winless in two games and now face a New England side that can lock up second place in the East with a win.
Messi will be available for that game.
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