Lionel Messi to miss All-Star Game against Liga MX

Major League Soccer (MLS) announced that Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will be absent from next week's All-Star Game against Liga MX. The Inter Miami stars are being granted an exemption following their deep run in the recent World Cup. This decision comes after a previous incident last year where Messi and his then-teammate Jordi Alba were suspended for one game after skipping the All-Star Game due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup with Inter Miami. The league had faced criticism for the scheduling conflict. According to an MLS statement, an agreement was reached before the current season allowing players who participated in the World Cup to negotiate rest and appropriate schedules with their clubs for their reintegration. Both Messi and De Paul traveled to Argentina after the World Cup concluded and are set to miss their second MLS match for Inter Miami against Montreal. The club has not yet provided an update on when they expect the players to rejoin the team. In line with the pre-season agreement, both Messi and De Paul will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.