MLS rule saves Lionel Messi from suspension despite fifth yellow card this season

Five yellow cards would normally leave Lionel Messi facing a one-match suspension in any other league, but the Inter Miami captain will be available for Sunday's meeting with New England Revolution. His reprieve comes through one of Major League Soccer's less familiar regulations, which allows players to have cautions removed from their disciplinary record after a sustained run of good behaviour.What is the MLS Good Behaviour Incentive?Messi picked up his fifth yellow card of the 2026 MLS season during Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, October 28.