Lionel Messi is “very displeased” after he and his Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba received one-match suspensions for skipping the Major League Soccer All-Star game earlier this week.
Both players were absent from Wednesday’s match in Austin, Texas, where the MLS team secured a 3-1 victory against Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars.
“According to league regulations, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to play in their club’s next match,” MLS stated in a release on Friday.
As a result, both players will miss Inter Miami’s home league game against FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas commented on Messi’s reaction to the suspension: “He’s very upset, extremely upset, as one would expect.
“I’m hopeful that it won’t have a long-term impact. Will it affect the players’ initial perception of how league rules function? Absolutely, no doubt about it.”
Mas remarked on the reactions of Alba and Messi: “Their response was exactly what you’d expect from two competitive athletes who don’t comprehend the decision, who can’t understand why skipping an exhibition match results in a suspension.
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“The rule is what it is, but they don’t grasp it. I believe the punishment for this rule is frankly excessive.”
MLS commissioner Don Garber described the decision to suspend Messi as a “very tough choice.”
He added: “I know Lionel Messi loves this league.
“I don’t think there’s a player—or anyone—who has contributed more to MLS than Messi. I fully understand, respect, and admire his dedication to Inter Miami, and I respect his choice.
“Unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game, and we had to enforce it.”
The Argentine legend, 38, has netted 18 goals in 18 appearances for Javier Mascherano’s team in the MLS this season, while Alba, 36, has played 19 times in the league.
The two, who also played together at Barcelona from 2012 to 2021, were part of the Miami squad that reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Since their elimination from the tournament by eventual finalists Paris St-Germain, Miami has played five matches this month, with Messi scoring eight goals.
Earlier in the day, Miami head coach Mascherano mentioned to ESPN that the forward had “shown normal fatigue from the number of games and minutes he’s been playing,” adding that “players often experience discomfort, especially when playing every three days.”
