Inter Miami’s MLS 2024 season to be halted by a strike
Lionel Messi’s team is at the center of attention as Inter Miami’s 2024 MLS season kickoff faces uncertainty amid a looming referee strike.
The highly anticipated start of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season hangs in the balance as a potential referee strike looms large, casting a shadow of uncertainty over Inter Miami’s preparations for the 2024 campaign, particularly impacting their star player, Lionel Messi.
The Professional Referees Organization (PRO) and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) find themselves at an impasse in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, leaving the season’s commencement in jeopardy. With just ten days until the speculated work stoppage, various U.S. media outlets, including The Athletic, have sounded the alarm.
The standoff between these entities is pushing the prospect of a prolonged strike, a scenario that could disrupt the league’s proceedings for an indefinite period. This potential labor dispute threatens the initiation of the upcoming MLS season and raises concerns about the availability of referees for an extended duration.
Should the strike proceed, MLS officials might need to explore alternative sources for referees, potentially sourcing from international territories like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, a move commonly adopted in similar circumstances worldwide.
The existing collective agreement, initiated in 2019, is set to expire on January 15, with substantial alterations in referees’ rights and conditions being pivotal in the discussions for the impending agreement.
Inter Miami, led by Messi, faces an uncertain start to their season, scheduled to commence on February 21 against Real Salt Lake. The looming referee crisis could leave the franchise and its competitors without officiating support, jeopardizing the season’s outset.
Meanwhile, Messi, fresh off his vacation in Argentina, has returned to Miami, signaling his commitment to the team’s preseason training despite the prevailing uncertainties surrounding the league’s kickoff.
As negotiations linger on the brink, the fate of the 2024 MLS season remains entwined with the ongoing discussions between PRO and PSRA. For Inter Miami, the road ahead seems clouded with ambiguity as they brace for a potentially turbulent start to their campaign.
