Messi skipped the All Star game, MLS helpless to punish?

On July 24, Inter Miami confirmed that Messi and Jordi Alba had withdrawn from the 2025 MLS All-Stars friendly against Liga MX All-Stars (Mexico), but it is likely that both will not be punished immediately, according to the Miami Herald.

Messi and Jordi Alba still playing against FC Cincinnati this weekend?

According to MLS (American professional soccer league) regulations, players who withdraw without a valid reason from the All Star game (a friendly match between the stars of the 2 leagues MLS and Liga MX) will be punished with a 1-match suspension. This case happened to former player Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2018, when he decided not to participate for his own reasons. Meanwhile, Messi and Jordi Alba were given the reason by Inter Miami that they were overloaded and needed to rest, according to the American newspaper, Miami Herald .

Messi has been in excellent form recently, but has also played too much - Photo: Reuters

Messi has played 5 consecutive 90-minute matches in just 15 days since the Club World Cup. For a 38-year-old player, and Jordi Alba (also 36), playing consecutive matches like that will have a significant physical impact. Meanwhile, this is only a friendly match, Inter Miami still has a busy schedule ahead, including matches in MLS and Leagues Cup (starting July 31), Spanish newspaper Marca expressed.

"Therefore, it is understandable that Inter Miami and coach Mascherano decided not to risk Messi and Jordi Alba participating in the MLS All-Star Game. They accepted even if there was a penalty, just to let these famous players rest and protect their health," Marca emphasized.

The withdrawal of Messi and Jordi Alba, similar to the Liga MX team, player James Rodriguez was also absent, but veteran center back Sergio Ramos participated. Thereby, making many American fans disappointed. Many people criticized Messi for lacking sportsmanship . This is the second consecutive year that the Argentine star has withdrawn from the All Star game, last year due to injury from the 2024 Copa America final.

Messi has played 5 consecutive matches for the full 90 minutes in just the last 15 days - Photo: Reuters

According to the US press, although there is no convincing reason for this year's withdrawal, with Inter Miami Club informing the MLS organizing committee and expressing concerns about Messi and Jordi Alba's physical overload, they may be exempted from disciplinary action. This is also an exceptional case.

Remember, MLS desperately needs Messi's continued presence and contract extension with Inter Miami. Above all, meaningless games that strain the strength of aging stars like Messi and Jordi Alba are unnecessary. Former player Zlatan Ibrahimovic once criticized that demanding him to participate in the All Star game was ridiculous.

Inter Miami players have returned to training to prepare for the match against strong opponent FC Cincinnati at 6:15 a.m. on July 27. This is the opponent that defeated Inter Miami 3-0 on July 17, and is also the only loss for Messi and his teammates in the last 5 matches in MLS. Messi and Jordi Alba are also absent from the training session on July 23.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/messi-bo-tran-all-star-game-mls-bat-luc-xu-phat-185250724100659219.htm