He asked Leo Messi for an autograph. Here's what happened to him

Mexican referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava has been punished by the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF) after asking for Lionel Messi's autograph.

Ortiz Nava refereed the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 match between Inter Miami and Sporting Kansas City. The Florida team won the match, with Messi scoring the only goal of the match. After the final whistle, the Mexican referee approached the player and asked him for an autograph for a disabled family member.

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The unusual situation prompted an immediate reaction from the organization. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated, noting in an official statement that Ortiz Nava's behavior "did not comply with the CONCACAF Code of Conduct for Match Referees and the applicable procedures for such requests." It added that the Mexican "admitted his mistake, apologized for the incident and accepted the punishment imposed by the organization."

Initially, it was not reported what kind of punishment was in question, but according to ESPN, Messi's autograph will cost the referee a six-month ban from refereeing in CONCACAF competitions. The exception will be the Mexican Liga MX. If Otiz Nava engages in similar behavior in the future, he will be suspended indefinitely.