Lionel Messi Set to Miss 3rd Consecutive MLS All-Star Game Despite Being Named in Roster
MLS says Messi and Rodrigo De Paul are excused after Argentina reached the World Cup final, with clubs set to decide rest timelines.
- On Saturday, Major League Soccer announced that Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul are excused from the MLS All-Star Game following their participation in the recent World Cup final.
- Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Association agreed that clubs would determine rest timelines for players following the World Cup, allowing the Argentine duo to skip the showcase without penalty.
- Unlike in 2025, when Messi and Jordi Alba received a one-game suspension, regulations now permit a 21-day rest period, preventing the penalties enforced last year.
- While excused from the All-Star Game, both players are expected to miss several matches before returning to Inter Miami, though the roster still features nine other World Cup participants.
- The MLS All-Star Game takes place this Wednesday in Charlotte, where top players face Mexican Liga-MX rivals amid a seven-week regular-season break that accommodated the World Cup.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Lionel Messi will be the defeat of the All-Star Game of Major League Soccer (MLS) for the second consecutive year. The league confirmed that the Argentine crack was dispensed from the 2026 edition of the event, which will bring together a selection of the main stars of MLS against a team made up of players from the MX League, Mexico. Brazilian Olympic Marathonist has been missing for more than a month This time, however, the absence will not giv…
Messi Breaks Silence; Gets Massive MLS Relief as League Changes Rule After World Cup Heartbreak
Lionel Messi ‘s World Cup ended in tears, uncertainty and heartbreak, but just days later, Major League Soccer handed the Argentine legend something he did not receive a year ago. For the second consecutive season, the Inter Miami superstar will miss the MLS All-Star Game, yet unlike last year, there will be no suspension. This is the understanding Messi was granted. The decision comes in the wake of Argentina’s exhausting run to the 2026 FIFA W…
Co-starring with Son Heung-min Fails... Messi, World Cup Finalist, Avoids Disciplinary Action Despite Missing MLS All-Star Game for Two Consecutive Years OSEN = Reporter Kang Pil-ju The fantastic scene of Son Heung-min (34) of LAFC and Lionel Messi (39) of Inter Miami playing together in the MLS All-Star Game ultimately did not materialize.
As is customary every year, the MLS All-Star Game takes place at the end of July. In it, the best players from the American league face off against those from the Mexican league. Lionel Messi, who was spotted yesterday at a Rosario match in the Argentine fourth division, is skipping the duel. Hugo Cuypers, who made the move to Mexican club Monterrey this summer, has also dropped out of the squad.
The Argentine star and Rodrigo De Paul will have personalized rest after playing the recent World Cup final.
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