Video: Inter Miami falters, Messi explodes at the referee | OneFootball

MLS: Inter Miami heavily beaten, Messi furious with the officiating

Messi / @x.com/Intermiamicfhub

Inter Miami CF stumbled out of the gate, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Los Angeles FC on the opening day of Major League Soccer. Despite the presence of their captain Lionel Messi, the Florida club never truly found an answer.

David Martínez broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, capitalizing on a swift and perfectly executed counterattack. In the second half, Denis Bouanga doubled the lead in the 73rd minute before Nathan Ordaz put the final nail in the coffin deep into stoppage time (90+4).

With this defeat, Inter Miami starts the season empty-handed, while Los Angeles pockets its first three points.

Messi loses his cool after Inter Miami's defeat

At the final whistle, the tension was palpable. Clearly frustrated by some of the referee’s decisions, Messi stormed towards the official in a heated protest. His teammate Luis Suárez quickly stepped in to pull him away, preventing the situation from escalating.

As defending champions, Inter Miami could hardly have started their campaign in a worse fashion. This unexpected setback now forces the Florida side to bounce back quickly if they want to keep their ambitions alive in the opening weeks.