Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba did not travel to Texas for the MLS All-Star Game despite being selected for the event.
The players have been confirmed to not participate in the Wednesday, July 23, match and as a result will face suspension from their club's next match.
Messi and Alba had reportedly missed the All-Star festivities this week in Austin, Texas, which leads to Wednesday night's friendly match against an equivalent select squad from Mexico’s Liga MX.
The MLS All-Star game has been a fixture since the league’s launch in 1996, though it has taken multiple formats over the years. In five of the past six seasons, the game has pitted MLS’s squad against Liga MX’s.
Furthermore, the league's rules contain a condition meant to encourage player participation in the event, stating that, unless they are injured, players must participate in the All-Star game or sit out their club’s next match.
This year's game took place in the middle of a busy period for the league. Inter Miami have played five games already in July after exiting the Club World Cup in a round of 16 loss to PSG.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or award winner has taken the decision to miss the event seemingly to avoid any further injuries.
Notably, Messi and Alba's absence will significantly affect Miami, as the club's next match is against FC Cincinnati, who now lead the Eastern Conference and who emerged victorious against Miami 3-0 the last time they played.
Messi and Alba's situation is not unprecedented. Zlatan Ibrahimović was suspended in a game in 2018 after skipping that year's All-Star event, a decision he called "ridiculous."
