Argentina captain Lionel Messi will be exempted from taking part in the Major League Soccer's (MLS) All-Star game against the Liga MX All-Stars because of his involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final last week.
The All-Stars game is a contest that pits biggest stars of USA's MLS up against the stars of Mexico's Liga MX.
The match is scheduled to take place in Charlotte on 29 July (Wednesday). Lionel Messi was part of the Argentina side that lost 1-0 to Spain in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in New Jersey on 19 July.
MLS statement on Lionel Messi missing All-Star game
“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,” MLS confirmed via an official statement on Saturday.
Messi's Argentina teammate Rodrigo de Paul, who also played in the FIFA World Cup final, has also been given permission to miss the All-Star game.
“Consistent with that agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game," the statement added.
Participation in the MLS All-Star game is usually mandatory, unless the player is ruled out because of an injury. However, this year, the league said that exceptions were made for the players reaching the latter stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Messi and his former teammate Jordi Alba were handed a one-match suspension last year for pulling out of the All-Star game in the last minute.
Messi was among the first eleven players who were named for the All-Star game this time. However, in the 39-year-old's absence, the other stars that will headline the MLS All-Stars team will include Son Heung-Min (Los Angeles FC), Thomas Muller (Vancouver Whitecaps) and Tim Ream (Charlotte FC).
When will Lionel Messi return to the MLS?
Lionel Messi, who scored eight goals at the FIFA World Cup, returned to his hometown of Rosario in Argentina on Tuesday to rest and recuperate, and according to the Associated Press, the veteran will rejoin his Inter Miami side in either late July or early August.
Inter Miami are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference standings, with 37 points from 17 matches. Inter Miami remain in contention for a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the post-season knockout tournament contested by the top teams at the end of the MLS regular season.
