CONCACAF referee, Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava, has been disciplined by the federation after appearing to request Lionel Messi’s jersey following Inter Miami’s 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday night.
In a statement issued Thursday, CONCACAF clarified that Ortiz Nava, who officiated the match, had approached Messi seeking an autograph intended for a family member with special needs.
The federation stated that his actions “do not align with the Confederation’s code of conduct for match officials and existing processes for these types of requests.”
As reported by ESPN, Messi did hand over his jersey to Ortiz Nava after the game.
The Argentine star had earlier secured Miami’s win by scoring the only goal in the 56th minute, assisted by Sergio Busquets, in a match played under freezing conditions, with wind chills dropping below zero. Messi completed the full 90 minutes.
CONCACAF further noted that Ortiz Nava had “acknowledged his mistake, apologized for the incident, and accepted the disciplinary action CONCACAF has applied.”
However, the organization did not disclose the specifics of the punishment handed to the 36-year-old referee.
Ortiz Nava had previously officiated an Inter Miami match, overseeing a CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against Nashville last season.
Up next, Messi and Inter Miami will kick off their 2025 MLS campaign at home against NYCFC on Saturday before heading into the second leg of their Champions Cup tie against Kansas City on Tuesday.
