{
  "id": 7957084,
  "title": "Don Garber admitted that Lionel Messi didn’t like him months before heated Campeones Cup incident",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/don-garber-admitted-that-lionel-messi-didnt-like-him-months-before",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T05:08:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/don-garber-admitted-lionel-messi-050837699.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, revealed during a July 2026 interview that Lionel Messi has been holding a grudge against him since 2025. Garber claims that Messi blamed him for officiating issues in the MLS. After Inter Miami's 2026 MLS Campeones Cup win, Messi was seen angrily waving his fingers at Garber while Garber smiled and continued their conversation. The incident occurred after Inter Miami's 2026 Campeones Cup final victory over Cruz Azul, a match that had tense moments with Messi protesting referee decisions. This suggests that Messi holds Garber accountable for officiating issues in the MLS, even if he doesn't see Garber as the one who selects referees.",
  "summary": "Lionel Messi seemed to have a confrontation with MLS Commissioner Don Garber after Inter Miami secured the 2026 MLS Campeones Cup. Garber could be seen smiling and having a conversation with Messi while the Argentinian legend had an angry look and repeatedly waved his fingers at the Commissioner.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "🎥 Messi hits 100 goals for Inter Miami!",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/messi-hits-100-goals-for-inter-miami",
        "published": "2026-09-17T00:38:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Lionel Messi scores 100th Inter Miami goal in Campenones Cup final win",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/lionel-messi-scores-100th-inter-miami-goal-in-campenones-cup-final-win",
        "published": "2026-09-17T04:24:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}