Messi faces fine for slapping Bangladeshi-origin footballer

Argentine football star Lionel Messi is facing a fine after slapping American footballer Quinn Sullivan, who is of Bangladeshi descent, on the back of his neck.

The incident took place on Thursday (August 20) during Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw against Philadelphia Union.

At one point in the match, Messi and Sullivan were involved in a verbal exchange. Messi then lightly slapped the back of Sullivan’s head. Major League Soccer (MLS) subsequently fined Messi over the incident, although the amount of the fine was not disclosed.

Quinn Sullivan is a member of the ‘Sullivan brothers’ family, which is well known in Bangladeshi football circles. His younger brother, Cavan Sullivan, also made headlines during the same match. Cavan and Inter Miami’s Yannick Bright were shown red cards after becoming involved in a confrontation late in the game.

However, MLS withdrew Cavan’s red card and one-match suspension on Friday. The league said an independent review panel had unanimously decided to overturn the punishment.

In another incident during the match, Miami’s Ian Fray was also fined.

Sullivan fell while entering the penalty area with the ball, leading to a confrontation with Fray. At one point, Fray grabbed Sullivan by the neck. Sullivan later got back to his feet and tackled Fray.

Quinn Sullivan’s two elder brothers, Ronan and Declan Sullivan, have represented the Bangladesh national team at the SAFF U-20 Championship. The footballers from the Bangladeshi-origin family are known in both the US and Bangladesh football communities.

Meanwhile, the match was personally memorable for Messi as well. The Argentine star scored his first goal since the death of his father, Jorge Messi. He also provided an assist in the match.