Messi Jersey Request Lands Ref In Hot Water With CONCACAF Officials

The soccer referee that asked Lionel Messi for his game-used jersey just minutes after officiating his game, has been disciplined by soccer's governing body.

The awkward situation that has brought questions of integrity and a referee's job of being unbiased took place after Wednesday night's Inter Miami 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City. According to ESPN, referee Ortiz Nava approached Messi after the game and asked if he could have the international superstar GOAT soccer player's jersey. Messi obliged. However, as the news made its way around social media, many cried foul over the bad optics of the entire situation.

DID REFEREE GO TOO FAR?

Did the referee go too far by asking Messi for the massive memorabilia score? What happens if he works a future game that Messi is playing in? Will there be a conflict of interest? Does this referee feel like he owes Messi some favorable calls? As someone who doesn't even referee but has covered plenty of sporting events and received credentials, there is a strict zero-tolerance policy for asking players for anything - and we aren't the ones that can affect the outcome of a game! 

Fortunately, soccer's CONCACAF governing body has stepped in and disciplined Nava, who says that he didn't have any bad intentions by asking Messi for his jersey and said that he asked Messi for an autograph "for a family member with special needs." 

Referee Ortiz Nava "acknowledged his mistake, apologized for the incident, and accepted the disciplinary action CONCACAF has applied," the league announced. They did not go into any specifics as to what the disciplinary action consists of. 

Now I'm not one to rip someone who has a family member who may be dealing with something, or to claim that Nava made that whole part up, but you can be sure many on social media are, so I'll just let them say it rather than me. 

Regardless, Nava, who has previously refereed one other Inter Miami soccer game, will face some sort of punishment. 

The big question is though - did he get to keep the jersey? 

WAS THE REFEREE WRONG FOR ASKING LIONEL MESSI FOR AN AUTOGRAPH AFTER THE GAME? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow