Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are getting special treatment from referees, Orlando City’s furious coach claims, calling Wednesday’s game ‘a circus’

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are getting special treatment from referees, irate Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said after his side’s 3-1 defeat on Wednesday night.

Messi scored twice, either side of a Josef Martinez penalty that really left Pareja furious, to propel Miami into the last 16 of the Leagues Cup.

But Orlando looked to have wrong-footed the World Cup winner, who received his first yellow card for an unnecessary push on Cesar Araujo and the pair got into an argument as they left the pitch at half-time.

Messi also pushed him off the ball at another point and thus avoided any penalty.

“There are some actions that are double yellow, with Leo,” Pareja said. “I don’t care if it’s him, but he should be judged the same as everyone else.

“Things have to be fair and what happened on the pitch was not like that.

“They (Inter Miami) improved their quality, it was a competitive game but we feel there were very unfair circumstances in the game that should not have happened.”

Martinez won and scored a penalty in the 50th minute, but seemed to fall easily under pressure from Antonio Carlos.

“Today was a circus,” Pareja continued. “The PK is incredible. Incredible.

“It’s a very clear dive and very easy to see because a few years ago they didn’t have the option of having referees to help them (with VAR), but today they haven’t even thought about that.

“The message is not clear, the match did not deserve such a penalty. Those calls are affecting, we are very frustrated.

“People want to see football and the referee has to be fair. This didn’t happen today.’

As for Messi and Miami, it is now five goals in three games for the Argentine star.

The Leagues Cup campaign continues on Sunday evening with a game in the last 16 against FC Dallas.