Lionel Messi enjoys a special MLS rule that no other league has.
Lionel Messi has taken advantage of a very unusual rule in football—one that would actually get him banned in most other leagues.
Messi is back on the field this Sunday when Inter Miami faces the New England Revolution at the Nu Stadium, after a 2-2 draw with Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Even though Messi received his fifth yellow card in that game, he’s still allowed to play. Normally, five yellow cards mean a one-game ban in any other professional league. But MLS has a special rule that works differently.
For years now, MLS has had a ‘Good Behaviour Rule’ that helps players by removing a yellow card from their record if they go five games in a row without getting another. This rule applies to all players, not just Messi.
Here’s how it works: if a player goes five straight matches without a yellow or red card or any other punishment, one yellow card is taken off their total. This can happen up to three times in one season, but a player’s total yellow cards can’t go below zero.
For example, if a player has three yellow cards and then plays five games without any more cards, one caution is removed, leaving them with two. This rule only kicks in after those five clean games are finished.
Messi’s latest yellow card for complaining to the referee is officially his fifth, but because of this rule, it’s counted as his third. He had two periods of five games with no cards, each time lowering his count.
He was booked against Orlando City, then went five games without a card. After a yellow vs. Nashville, he went 10 games without one before getting booked against Atlanta and Cincinnati.
This rule is great news for Inter Miami because Messi can play against New England Revolution, who are just two points ahead. If Inter wins, they’ll move up to second place with one game to go.
Finishing higher means better seeding for the MLS Cup, a trophy Messi wants to help Inter win for the second time. He’s currently the league’s top scorer and a strong contender for the Golden Boot, with 25 goals in 29 games.