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The MLS have decided to exempt Lionel Messi from the huge punishment that they imposed on him in 2025.
With the FIFA World Cup ending just a little over a week ago, many have wondered when Lionel Messi would return to Inter Miami.
Messi helped lead Argentina to the FIFA World Cup final and has been away from his club side since then as he recovers, which will force him to miss one of the MLS’s landmark events.
Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/MLS via Getty Images
MLS will not suspend Lionel Messi for missing All-Star game like they did in 2025
Lionel Messi is confirmed to be missing the 2026 MLS All-Star week in Charlotte, North Carolina, as he takes time away from Inter Miami following a grueling FIFA World Cup.
MLS officials confirmed to ESPN that Messi will not receive a one-match suspension for missing the festivities, the standard punishment issued to players.
However, this isn’t a case of Messi receiving preferential treatment as a star player, as the MLS had agreed to let players participating in the FIFA World Cup get some time off to recover.
This is why Messi and Rodrigo de Paul are exempt from the punishment, as a statement from the MLS revealed:
“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.
“Consistent with that agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.”
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This decision is a stark contrast to last year, when Messi, along with Jordi Alba, received a one-match suspension for missing the event.
This decision was criticized by Miami Heat co-owner Jorge Mas last year, who revealed how upset Messi was over the ‘draconian’ punishment.
“Lionel Messi is very upset, like we all are in the club, with the fact that they won’t be able to play tomorrow night.
“But I think what we have to do as a club is to get together as one, have an attitude that is us against the world… I think that the punishment for the rule is frankly draconian.
“Obviously, it was not a positive reaction [from Messi and Alba]. They want to compete, they want to play games.
“That’s what they’re here for, to play and win. They understand the magnitude of tomorrow night’s game.
“So no, their reaction was exactly as expected of two competitive players who don’t understand the decision, who don’t understand why not attending an exhibition match leads directly to a suspension.”
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