Mexican referee Marco Antonio Ortiz has been suspended from officiating CONCACAF matches for six months due to an incident involving Lionel Messi, the star player of Inter Miami and an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
According to ESPN, the suspension stems from Ortiz asking the Argentine forward for his autograph after a match. Inter Miami won 1-0 against Sporting Kansas City in the Round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, with Messi scoring the only goal in the 56th minute.
After the final whistle, Ortiz approached Messi for an autograph. Despite the referee's admission of guilt and apology, CONCACAF still ruled his actions a breach of their ethical code for officials.
Reports indicate that Ortiz is still allowed to officiate matches in the Mexican league. However, he could face harsher penalties if he commits a similar violation in the future.
