The Major League Soccer has seen big football names, but none of them as big as Lionel Messi, who joined Inter Miami.
As the best football player in the world, many expect the MLS quality to elevate to keep up with the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
However, are the referees ready?
One coach, who asked for anonymity, told The Athletic that maybe the referees should do more to protect the Argentinian star as players of lower quality might target him.
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The anonymous MLS coach was quoted saying that Messi should "get the (Michael) Jordan treatment. (He) should get every single call."
The "Michael Jordan treatment" refers to calls to be made to protect the former Chicago Bulls star, who was the number one star during his time.
Many are advocating for his protection or risk the ire of many fans or Messi himself, who, in just one month, already created opportunities not just for Inter Miami but also for the whole league.
Referee in a Messi game cannot just be anybody
To better do that, assigning for his games must be painstaking.
The Professional Referees Organization (PRO) suggested they would get rid of young players when assigning officials for a match involving Messi.
"It cannot be someone who is going to just referee the game for the sake of the game. We have a lot of those referees on the roster," said Robert Sibiga, PRO's 2021 referee of the year.
"It has to be veterans. It has to be experienced referees."
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami debut is this month, but his unveiling will take place first, which will be held at the DRV PNK Stadium on July 16.
No refereeing yet here, but authorities in the city will still have their hands full.
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