MIAMI (BN24) — Major League Soccer has suspended Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba for one match after the pair failed to participate in the MLS All-Star Game without prior league approval, despite being on the roster and not injured.
The league confirmed the disciplinary action on Friday, citing its longstanding policy that any selected All-Star who skips the event without medical exemption or permission from MLS is ineligible to play in their club’s next match.
As a result, Messi and Alba will miss Inter Miami’s upcoming home match against Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati on Saturday. Messi, who leads Miami with 18 goals this season, is the league’s biggest draw and a central figure in its global marketing push.
“Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club’s next match,” MLS said in a statement.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the significance of Messi’s contributions but emphasized the need to uphold league policy.
“I know Lionel Messi loves this league. I don’t think there’s a player — or anyone — who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi,” Garber said. “But unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game, and we had to enforce it. It was a very difficult decision.”
All-Star events are common across North American professional sports, serving as showcases for top talent. However, they are rare in global soccer and often met with resistance from clubs and players facing tight competition schedules.
Garber added that the league would consider revisiting the rule in the future. “We’re going to take a hard look at the policy moving forward. I’m committed to working with our players to determine how the rule should evolve.”
Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas condemned the suspensions as overly harsh, describing Messi and Alba as “consummate professionals” who were “extremely upset” by the ruling. Mas said the club opted to rest both players during a congested schedule for health reasons and communicated this to the league.
“I expressed our disagreement with the league’s decision,” Mas told reporters in a conference call Friday. “The ones that get penalized are the club, the fans, sponsors, Apple TV, and so on. I had conversations with the commissioner both this morning and late last night. But notwithstanding that, the decision is what it is.”
Mas also revealed there is no appeals process for the suspension.
The controversy comes as Inter Miami continues its playoff push and MLS leans heavily on Messi’s global profile to elevate its brand internationally. The decision has sparked renewed debate over the All-Star format’s relevance in a sport where such exhibitions are often seen as unnecessary distractions.
