[Saba Sports News] According to US media reports, VID, an American event promotion company, has sued Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association for fraud and breach of contract. The lawsuit relates to two friendly matches held last October, in one of which Messi was absent. The company claims that under the terms of the contract, Messi was required to play at least 30 minutes in each match unless injured. VID stated that Messi breached his contractual obligations by deciding not to play in the first match, instead watching the game from a luxury box with his family. It added that Messi was not injured at the time and returned to action for Inter Miami the day after the first match, scoring two goals and providing one assist. On Tuesday, representatives of VID held a news conference to explain the lawsuit. According to the lawyer, Messi bears undeniable responsibility for the breach of contract. VID said it was seeking compensation over the unfulfilled agreement.
The editor believes that Messi’s participation as scheduled was an essential and core part of the contract, and is directly related to the commercial viability of the matches. Although Messi did not sign any contract, he did take part in the promotion of the games. Under U.S. law, this may carry certain consequences.