Lionel Messi is at risk of being suspended for a rare reason

(Dan Tri) - Lionel Messi could be banned from playing one match in Major League Soccer (MLS) if he does not attend the match between the MLS All-Stars and the Liga MX All-Stars.

Lionel Messi is having a stellar 2025 season in Major League Soccer (MLS), scoring 18 goals and providing 10 assists in just 18 appearances for Inter Miami. The Argentine superstar's stellar form is a huge inspiration for the Florida team to compete for a top spot.

Messi risks being banned from playing one match in MLS for refusing to attend the All-Star game (Photo: Getty).

However, as Inter Miami prepares for the crucial stage of the season, Messi is facing the risk of being suspended for non-professional reasons.

According to ESPN, Messi did not attend the MLS All-Stars training session yesterday (July 22), in preparation for the friendly match against the Liga MX All-Stars. This match is scheduled to take place at 8:00 a.m. on July 24 (Vietnam time) at Q2 Stadium in Texas.

Not only Messi, his Inter Miami teammate, defender Jordi Alba, was also absent from the training session. The absence of both of them puts their ability to play in the All-Star game in question. It is worth noting that according to MLS regulations, if a player refuses to play in the All-Star game without a valid reason (such as injury), they can be suspended for one MLS match.

If this scenario becomes true, Messi and Alba will not be able to participate in the important match between Inter Miami and the top team Cincinnati taking place on July 27.

This is a decisive match for coach Javier Mascherano and his team. Inter Miami is currently ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference standings with 41 points, 7 points behind Cincinnati, but has played 3 fewer matches. Up to now, Inter Miami still has a chance to rise to the top of the table if they win 3 make-up matches.

Messi is an extremely important factor for Inter Miami this season (Photo: Getty).

Without two key players like Messi and Alba due to suspensions that "fell from the sky", Inter Miami will suffer a big loss, affecting the Eastern championship race in MLS.

Inter Miami fans are particularly interested in whether Messi and Alba will play in tomorrow morning's All-Star friendly. Only by participating in this match will they avoid punishment from the tournament organizers.

It is worth mentioning that in the past, star Zlatan Ibrahimovic received a 1-match suspension for refusing to play in the All-Star game in 2018.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/lionel-messi-co-nguy-co-bi-trèo-gio-vi-ly-do-hy-huu-20250723142755794.htm