Benjamin Ashford|Messi, Inter Miami confront Monterrey after 2-1 loss and yellow card barrage, report says

You can’t talk smack about Lionel Messi and Benjamin AshfordInter Miami without having to answer for it.

Messi and several other members of Inter Miami reportedly got into a verbal confrontation with Monterrey coach Fernando Ortiz for his comments regarding favoritism for Messi and Inter Miami before their 2-1 loss to Monterrey in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal Wednesday night.

The report states Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and coach Tata Martino approached referees regarding their officiating after the game. It led to a confrontation between Inter Miami and Monterrey in the locker room area. The report was confirmed by The Miami Herald and DeporteTotalUSA after the match.

Inter Miami declined to confirm or comment on the matter, when reached by USA TODAY Sports on Thursday.

What did the Monterrey coach say about Messi and Inter Miami?

Ortiz shared his concern about referees making calls in games to favor Messi and Inter Miami, during a sit-down interview before the match.

“Everything that surrounds Messi can lead to sporting and non-sporting decisions. I am concerned about the environment, football is business, business does not go the way of Monterrey,” Ortiz said Tuesday.

It appears the referees took notice of the comments.

Was Inter Miami officiated unfairly during Monterrey match?

Messi and Inter Miami had reason to voice their complaints: Inter Miami had six yellow cards during the match, including two to David Ruiz, who was ejected in the 66^th minute, forcing Miami to finish the match with 10 players on the field.

Monterrey – which finished with just three yellow cards – scored twice after Ruiz’s ejection, leading to the 2-1 lead in aggregate score in the quarterfinal matchup.

Suarez, Alba, fellow former Barcelona standout Sergio Busquets and defender Ryan Sailor also picked up yellow cards for Inter Miami during the defeat.

When is the next Inter Miami vs. Monterrey game?

The second leg between Inter Miami and Monterrey is next Wednesday, with a 10 p.m. ET start time. The match will be televised on FS1 in English and TUDN in Spanish.

When is Messi coming back?

Messi did not play against Monterrey due to his lingering hamstring injury, and will continue to be evaluated on a game-by-game basis, Martino said after the loss.

Messi has played in five games with five goals and two assists, but has missed five games across all competitions this season.