Lionel Messi & Inter Miami’s 2024 MLS Opener in Jeopardy as Referees Plan Protests Ahead of Real Salt Lake Faceoff

Tomorrow, Inter Miami will do the honors to kickstart the 2024 MLS campaign. The anticipation is high among the soccer world, as the Herons will be hosting Real Salt Lake at Chase Stadium. While the first match is just a stone’s throw away, a concerning development has emerged. In a shocking update, Lionel Messi and Co.’s opening game is potentially in danger as referees are gearing up for protests.

The reason why protests are being conducted is because the MLS failed to reach an agreement with the match officials regarding the new bargaining agreement. Reports suggest that all referees of the MLS and MLS Next Pro will gather around the MLS headquarters tomorrow. The protest would be just hours before the evening clash between Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake, posing a significant challenge ahead of the game.

On Saturday, over 96% of members of the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PRSA) voted against a proposed labor agreement provided by the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), which hires referees for the MLS and other professional soccer leagues. A potential five-year contract offer, according to the PRO, would have increased overall remuneration by about 25%. This increase would have included retainers, game fees, salary increases, and other bonuses like business class travel for specific tournaments.

The referees’ union, however, believed that the offer did not provide officials with enough assistance. As a result, the PRO declared that until a deal was reached, unionized match officials would not be allowed to work. With no resolution in sight, an important question still lingers.

Who will referee Lionel Messi and Co’s clash against Real Salt Lake? 

Following the election results, PRO and MLS will begin the 2024 season with new referees at all levels. A statement from PRO general manager Mark Geiger said, “We are left with no choice but to institute a lockout and use qualified non-bargaining unit officials so that games can go ahead as scheduled.” 

PSRA officials have been locked out since February 18. On the other hand, PRO has been preparing for the first week of the season without its main officiating squad. Notably, this isn’t the first time, as in 2014, MLS employed substitute officials for the initial two weeks until a contract agreement was reached. 

Regardless of the circumstances, time is of the essence for both parties to swiftly reach a resolution. Failure to do so could result in significant consequences.

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