RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesFormer Argentina forward Angel Di Maria strongly believes Lionel Messi shouldn’t call it quits yet in international football, as he believes that the Inter Miami forward can still offer something to the table for La Albiceleste.
During the recently concluded World Cup , the 39-year-old forward led Argentina to its second consecutive World Cup final, where they eventually lost 1-0 to Spain in added extra time.
Messi recorded eight goals and four assists in the quadrennial tournament, overtaking Miroslav Klose in the competition’s all-time scoring list with 21 goals and nine assists.
MORE: 2026 FIFA World Cup Best XI, Team of the Tournament unveiled: Full list of players
“Leo has to keep going as long as he wants. I think he can continue for many more years. At 39, he’s shown that he’s one of the best and that he can continue to be one of the best in history. He has no ceiling, there’s nothing more for him,” Di Maria said of Messi via GOAL.
Lionel Messi set to miss 2026 MLS All-Star Game
June 16, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.; Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Lionel Messi (alongside Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul) is going to miss the MLS All-Star Game for the second straight season, but he won’t be suspended for doing so, unlike last year.
Last year, the MLS handed Messi a one-match ban for failing to participate, but this time, their stance has softened because Messi is fresh from a deep World Cup run.
“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,” an MLS statement read.
“Consistent with that agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game,” the statement ended.
Despite the absences of Messi and De Paul, the MLS All-Star Game won’t be devoid of household names, as the likes of Son Heung-Min, Tim Ream, and Thomas Müller are set to play on Wednesday night.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.