MLS gives Messi option to miss All-Star match following exhausting World Cup campaign

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Argentina’s forward #10 Lionel Messi cries during the trophy ceremony at the end of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

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Lionel Messi will not be required to play in next week’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game after representing Argentina in the recent World Cup final, the US domestic league said Saturday.

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Inter Miami superstar Messi had been sanctioned last year for skipping the annual showcase, which pits top players from across MLS against rivals from the Mexican Liga-MX.

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Participation is usually mandatory, with exceptions for injury.

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But this year, the World Cup took place in the middle of the MLS season, which paused for a seven-week break, and the league confirmed exceptions had been pre-arranged for players reaching the international tournament’s final stages.

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“Prior to the start of the 2026 season, Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Association agreed that upon a player’s exit from the World Cup competition, clubs would have individual conversations with each player to determine the appropriate rest and return to training and competition timeline,” said the statement.

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“Consistent with that agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.”

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Fellow Argentine De Paul also featured in last Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey, which Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time.

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Messi had been among the first 11 players named to the MLS squad for this year’s All-Star Game, which takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

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In his absence, stars will include Los Angeles FC’s Son Heung-min, the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Thomas Muller, and US national team captain Tim Ream, who plays for Charlotte.

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Last year, Messi and then-Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba were slapped with a one-game suspension for skipping the All-Star Game at the last minute.

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MLS commissioner Don Garber at the time expressed sympathy for Messi’s grueling schedule, saying it had been a “very difficult decision” and that the league’s long-standing All-Star Game policy would be reviewed.

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Nonetheless, Inter Miami’s billionaire co-owner Jorge Mas said Messi was “very upset” by the suspension.

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