Messi talks about hand picking up the pass back: the referee can t explain the rules clearly, MLS wants to reexamine the referee

 8:04am, 22 May 2025

Miami International lost to Oakland City 0-3 in the regular season. After the game, Messi talked about the opponent's goalkeeper getting the ball back.

Messi: I think we played very well in the first half today, constantly attacking and creating opportunities. The opponents cannot organize the attack at all, so they can only play hard frequently.

But then a strange punishment appeared. A player from the opponent passed the ball back to the goalkeeper, and the referee told me in person that he didn't know the rules, and he felt that it seemed wrong, but he didn't understand (that return pass). It was from that controversy that the opponent launched an offense and scored a goal through a long pass. Key mistakes often occur at this moment, and there were also the last game. These penalties are not excuses, but there are always problems with referees at specific times. I think the FIFA really needs to examine the referee issue!