Lionel Messi had to be physically restrained by opposition coaching staff following an angry confrontation with referee Joe Dickerson after Inter Miami's 3-3 draw with San Jose Earthquakes in MLS.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was furious at the final whistle, confronting the official over a perceived missed free-kick decision.
San Jose Earthquakes boss Bruce Arena intervened to prevent Messi from receiving a red card during the heated exchange at PayPal Park on Wednesday night.
The match saw Maximiliano Falcon open the scoring in the first minute for San Jose, followed by Tadeo Allende who scored twice to complete the 3-3 draw.
Lionel Messi had to be physically restrained by opposition coaching staff following an angry confrontation with referee Joe Dickerson after Inter Miami's 3-3 draw with San Jose Earthquakes in MLS
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Inter Miami, the current Supporters' Shield holders, now find themselves fifth in the MLS table.
The draw comes after a difficult period for the Herons, who suffered a 4-1 defeat to Minnesota last weekend.
The team has been playing without star striker Luis Suarez for the past two games due to personal reasons.
Frustrations boiled over for Messi after the match when he confronted referee Joe Dickerson about not awarding him a free-kick outside the box.
Lionel Messi encarándose con el árbitro tras acabar el partido con tarjeta amarilla.
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The referee showed Messi a yellow card for his protests, but the Argentine star continued his animated complaints.
Dickerson warned the Miami captain, saying, "Do you want me to send you off? Walk away!"
Despite the warning, Messi persisted with his remonstrations, risking an almost unprecedented red card in what became one of the angriest moments of his illustrious career.
As Messi's confrontation with the referee escalated, members of the San Jose Earthquakes coaching staff stepped in to restrain the frustrated superstar.
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Earthquakes boss Arena made the crucial intervention, physically moving Messi away from the official.
The veteran coach's quick thinking likely prevented Dickerson from showing Messi a red card in the heated aftermath of the match.
Arena's intervention was particularly notable as it came from the opposition bench rather than Messi's own coaching staff.
Speaking after the game, Arena explained his decision to intervene: "As you know, there's a universal language when you're talking about referees. He was obviously not happy.
"And I really wanted to make sure he wasn't going to get a red card, and that's why I just tried to move him out of the way. Because for him to get a red card at the end of the game would have been ridiculous.
"So I just wanted to make sure we get him out of there and he's ready to play the next game for Miami."
Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano, who played alongside Messi for both Barcelona and Argentina, offered little insight into the incident.
Lionel Messi was close to a red card as the Inter Miami star argued with the referee
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When questioned about the confrontation, Mascherano simply stated he had "no idea" what was said between his star player and the referee.
Inter Miami will look to bounce back from their recent disappointing results when they return to action on Sunday.
David Beckham's team host Orlando City at Chase Stadium, hoping to improve their position in the standings.