Superstar Lionel Messi of Inter Miami has been officially ruled out of the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star Game. This dashes hopes for the dream pairing of Son Heung-min from Los Angeles Football Club (LA FC) and Messi on the same team.
The MLS office released a statement on July 26 announcing that Messi and Rodrigo De Paul of Inter Miami are exempt from participating in the MLS All-Star Game, in accordance with the player rest agreement between MLS and the MLS Players Association.
Messi and De Paul represented Argentina in the 2026 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup for North and Central America, playing until the final on July 20.
USA Today reported that Messi plans to take about three weeks off following the final, meaning he’ll miss several MLS matches and the All-Star Game. The MLS officially confirmed his absence on the same day.
The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) and FIFA recommend a minimum 21-day rest period for players at the end of each season for safety reasons. This explains why Messi is excused from the MLS All-Star Game, scheduled just nine days after the World Cup’s conclusion.
While Messi faced disciplinary action last season for an unauthorized absence from the MLS All-Star Game, this time he’ll miss the event without any penalties.
The MLS All-Star Game will feature a showdown between U.S. and Mexican soccer pros, with MLS stars facing off against Liga MX All-Stars.
Although both Son Heung-min and Messi, two of the league’s biggest stars, were voted into the First Eleven by fans, only Son will now take part in the event.
This marks only the second time in 23 years that a Korean player has been selected for the MLS All-Star Game. The last occurrence was in 2003 when Hong Myung-bo, the current national team coach, was chosen while playing for LA Galaxy.