Soccer legend Lionel Messi opened a can of ethical worms this week as he gave his match-worn jersey to an official who refereed the match. Messi’s Inter Miami beat Sporting KC in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup matchup on Wednesday, February 19.
According to reports, following Inter Miami’s 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City, Mexican ref Maro Antonio Ortiz Nava asked Messi for his kit, and Messi obliged.
This obviously creates an ethical and sporting integrity dilemma, as a ref acting like a fan of a player as soon as the whistle blows begs questions of whether or not that personal bias influenced his decisions in the match.
“Mexican referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava asked Messi for his jersey after the game, and got his wish granted. Following the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup, Messi gave the 36-year-old official his jersey after leaving the field and heading to the changing room.”
“In a statement to Front Office Sports, Concacaf said it learned that Ortiz Nava approached Messi to ask for an autograph ‘for a family member with special needs. The referee’s conduct does not align with the Confederation’s Code of Conduct for match officials and existing processes for these types of requests.'”
The report from Front Office Sports nor the statement from Concacaf indicates whether or not the jersey was returned to Messi or given to league officials.
Messi’s game worn jerseys are quite valuable pieces of sports memorabilia, with some selling for millions of dollars. With Messi scoring the lone goal in the match and it likely being the coldest game he’s ever played in, with temperatures as low as 3 degrees, that kit may have some resale value.
In 2023, a set of Messi’s six kits from the 2022 World Cup, which Argentina won, sold for $7.8 million at auction. In 2022, a kit he wore for Barcelona in a 2017 El Clasico match against Real Madrid sold for $450,000. His kit from the 2011 Champions League final against Real Madrid also recently sold at auction, ultimately going for $57,000.
The post Leo Messi Opened Ethical Can Of Worms By Giving Kit To Ref Who Asked For It After Inter Miami’s Latest Match appeared first on BroBible.