Inter Miami fan protest leads to tense exchange with Lionel Messi

Inter Miami fans have clashed, with Lionel Messi at the centre of discontent.

Messi and Inter Miami secured their first win inside their new home after five attempts, but frustration from the stands during the closing minutes overshadowed this past weekend's much-anticipated victory.

Inter Miami defeated former head coach Phil Neville and his Portland Timbers 2-0 at Nu Stadium last Sunday, but most of the post-game chatter has centered around a controversial protest from the South Florida side's five official supporters groups.

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La Familia – the collective name for those supporters groups – is known for creating the relentlessly festive atmosphere that has become customary at Inter Miami home games since the team debuted in 2020.

Nonstop Spanish songs and chants, drum and instrument usage, and flag waving for the entire 90 minutes are all normally part of the experience and spectacle regardless of the scoreline.

This time was different, however. Very different.

The supporters groups organized a silent protest that began before kickoff and stretched through most of the match, creating a notably unusual vibe from their designated north stands in the lower bowl.

The reason? Growing frustration over what La Familia believes has been a lack of acknowledgment from the team during the previous four home games, a stretch that included three draws and a stunning collapse to rival Orlando City.

It has become somewhat of a tradition at Inter Miami for players to walk over and salute La Familia after matches irrespective of the final score, a practice that began ironically enough under Neville during his spell managing the team.

Inter Miami has largely moved away from that practice since moving into Nu Stadium in April, perhaps due in part to the mounting unease that accompanied the team's four-match winless start at the venue.

La Familia's response to that disconnect was a largely peaceful protest, but the silent strategy changed in the final moments.

In the 85th minute, the supporters groups suddenly and repeatedly belted out a chant in Spanish. What was said translated roughly to, "Players, respect your supporters, say hello to your people, who never ask for things."

While the words were not insulting or overtly disrespectful, the accompanying melody borrowed from a chant that has historically been more confrontational, pointed and vulgar in Argentine football culture.

Critics of La Familia’s actions have opined that it was misguided to use that exact melody. The supporters groups issued a joint statement on Monday clarifying the altered chant they used was not meant to insult anyone.

"This was not a chant to insult any of the players or staff," read La Familia's statement. "It was supporters asking for the smallest sign of acknowledgment from the people they spend their lives supporting."

Whether because of that historical context, the repeated nature of La Familia's chant or something else entirely, Messi appeared visibly irritated by the chanting on Sunday night.

He stared motionless toward the supporters groups for several seconds before making a pinched-fingers gesture in their direction, a gesture commonly associated with frustration or exasperation in Argentine, Uruguayan and Italian cultures.

Tensions only rose from there.

Messi – who scored the winner and spectacularly assisted on the second goal vs Portland – and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul appeared to acknowledge and greet other sections in the stadium while La Familia continued with the chant.

During a late corner kick, De Paul turned to fans in the northeast part of the field and pointed to the star above the Inter Miami crest. He also appeared to tell them not to follow La Familia's lead by quickly pointing to the supporters group's sections before wagging his finger.

The full-time whistle eventually blew, but the friction between Messi, De Paul and La Familia did not end there. Messi wagged a finger in the direction of the supporters groups in apparent disapproval as he began to exit the field. The superstar attacker and De Paul then saluted fans in other parts of the stadium before Messi appeared to try and round up the rest of his teammates for the walk to the locker room.

Some of the players obliged to the Inter Miami captain’s request, while others stayed back to acknowledge La Familia with a quick applause. The divided response from the team prompted some whistles and boos from the supporters groups, punctuating an unusual exchange during what should have been a celebratory moment.

“It surprised us,” said Inter Miami striker German Berterame of the fan protest. “But they are right because they deserve for us to greet them.”

Much of this exchange between the players and supporters groups was not fully captured by the Apple TV broadcast – which remained mostly focused on the game action – but the moments went viral worldwide in large part through fan-taken videos posted on social media.

How Inter Miami and La Familia reached this point is a larger question, though.

Sources familiar with the supporters groups told FourFourTwo that frustration has steadily increased in recent weeks due in part to what many fans perceive as poor treatment from the organization, including dissatisfaction over being allocated a smaller section in the new stadium.

Repairing the damage will take some work from Inter Miami, which is reportedly set to meet with members of La Familia on Wednesday. A quick resolution would be ideal given that another home game against the Philadelphia Union is set for Sunday – the last match before a near two-month break for the World Cup – but questions remain as to what happens if common ground cannot be found.

The supporters groups have made it loudly, albeit controversially, known that they are increasingly feeling “invisible.” Inter Miami will have to address that concern not only to restore the vibrant spectacle and festive atmosphere at home games, but also to prevent the relationship with La Familia from deteriorating further.