Lionel Messi will be available for Inter Miami's match against the New England Revolution on Sunday, despite collecting his fifth yellow card of the MLS season.
The booking came in the 42nd minute of Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Cincinnati at the Nou. Under the normal understanding of the good conduct rule, a fifth yellow card would trigger a one-match suspension. In this case, though, Messi remains eligible because two cards dropped from his effective tally.
It is a notable ruling for Inter Miami and Lionel Messi, especially with the club heading into one of its final regular-season matches. The 39-year-old has now been cautioned in rounds 8, 11, 20, 31 and 33, but he will not be forced to sit out Sunday and the matchup with New England.
That keeps Inter Miami's captain on the field for a key late-season game. For a player of Messi's profile, availability always matters, and this one arrives with a bit of unusual MLS context attached to it.
What happened with the yellow card count?
Messi's caution against Cincinnati was his fifth of the campaign, but it did not produce the expected ban. In theory, the fifth yellow card should have led to a one-game suspension. Instead, the league's eligibility calculation left him clear to play against the New England Revolution.
The result is simple for Inter Miami: Messi stays in the lineup, and the club avoids losing its captain for a match that could carry added importance in the final stretch of the season.
