MLS rivals demand 'review' of referee's Lionel Messi shirt request after seeing Mexican official make shock approach to Inter Miami superstar

Following a 24-hour delay, and with temperatures dropping well below freezing, Kansas City played host to Messi and the Herons in the first leg of an intriguing CONCACAF Champions Cup contest. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner netted the only goal of that fixture.

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According to ESPN, Mexican official Ortiz Nava approached Messi after the game and requested one of his iconic No.10 shirts. The Argentine is said to have delivered on a post-match promise, with said exchange taking place behind the scenes, rather than on the field.

Questions are being asked of whether a supposedly neutral official should be displaying any form of favouritism, with the Kansas City Star asking Sporting KC for their take. They replied with: "We informed CONCACAF and Major League Soccer about the incident after the match against Inter Miami CF on Wednesday. We await further review of the matter and the action CONCACAF will take."

While Messi happily passed a jersey on to Ortiz Nava, it is claimed that Sporting KC’s captain on the day, Erik Thommy, landed the all-time great’s match-worn shirt – with that trade taking place on the pitch despite everyone in attendance wrapping up against conditions that Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano called "not human".

Inter Miami will lock horns with Sporting KC again next Tuesday, with the second leg of their tie taking place at Chase Stadium in South Florida, Prior to that, Messi and Co will be opening their bid for MLS Cup glory in a home date with New York City FC, as the 2025 campaign gets underway.