July 25, (THEWILL) — Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba will miss Saturday’s crucial fixture against FC Cincinnati after Major League Soccer imposed mandatory suspensions for their absence from Wednesday’s All-Star Game. The league confirmed the sanctions on Friday afternoon, citing established rules that prevent players from competing in their club’s next match if they skip the mid-season exhibition without prior approval. Messi was rested due to fatigue concerns whilst Alba nursed a knock from Miami’s previous game, but neither player received official clearance from MLS headquarters.
Commissioner Don Garber described the decision to suspend the Argentine superstar particularly difficult, acknowledging Messi’s transformative impact on American football since joining Inter Miami in 2023. Speaking to The Athletic, Garber emphasised that “nobody has done more for Major League Soccer than Lionel Messi” whilst defending the enforcement of longstanding participation policies. The commissioner noted Messi’s gruelling schedule, having played 90 minutes in every Inter Miami match since April 30, including nine games over 35 days and four fixtures at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The timing proves especially significant given Saturday’s contest between two top-tier teams fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. FC Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan confirmed his squad prepared without expecting Miami’s star duo, contrasting with his own players Evander and Miles Robinson who participated fully in All-Star festivities despite the demanding schedule. Noonan stated there was “no thought of holding our guys back” from representing their club at the exhibition event.
This marks the second high-profile suspension under the All-Star participation rule, following Zlatan Ibrahimović’s similar punishment with LA Galaxy in 2018. However, sanctioning the reigning league MVP ahead of a marquee fixture carries substantial commercial implications, particularly given Messi’s status driving record viewership numbers across social media platforms. The league recently announced a “Player Spotlight” broadcast series featuring Messi that generated over 6.4 million live views on TikTok during the previous season.
Garber confirmed MLS will review the participation policy following this controversy, acknowledging the need to adapt rules that better reflect player workloads and league realities. The suspension comes whilst Messi negotiates a contract extension beyond his current deal, which expires at the end of 2025. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano had suggested scheduling All-Star Games on weekends rather than mid-week to provide adequate rest periods for participating players.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
