Messi hasn’t adhered to MLS’s media policy, but he’s far from alone

On Saturday, moments after Inter Miami’s 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls, the dozens of reporters who were at Red Bull Arena to cover Lionel Messi’s MLS debut descended into the depths of the stadium to perform their usual post-game duties. Both head coaches gave press conferences. Players from both teams spoke about what transpired during the match.

There was no shortage of storylines. Messi, still the biggest player in global football and the most famous player MLS has ever seen, had created Miami’s second goal seemingly out of thin air. What had he seen? How had he navigated that sea of opponents? What had he made of the atmosphere and the level of play?

Some reporters wanted answers to those questions and more on Saturday, but they never came. Messi did not talk to the media after the match, despite the protests of a few reporters, most notably Ron Blum from the Associated Press, which published an update solely about Messi’s lack of availability.

MLS has a long-standing media policy, meant to ensure that its players are available to journalists at every match and training session. The Associated Press wrote on Saturday that it had received prior assurance that…