Lionel Messi skips MLS All-Star Game, fuelling Serie A rumours

Dubai: Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba skipped the Major League Soccer All-Star Game against Liga MX on Wednesday night, and while the two Inter Miami stars now face a one-match suspension, the bigger question looms: why did Messi miss the high-profile showcase? Is it just to keep himself fresh for the upcoming clash against Cincinnati — or is there more to it, like his rumoured return to Europe, possibly Serie A?

An MLS spokesperson confirmed that Inter Miami had informed league officials that both Messi and Alba would not feature at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. However, the absence has triggered disciplinary questions, as players who skip the All-Star Game without a valid injury report can be suspended for one match.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber, speaking before the game, admitted the league should have been informed earlier. “No decision has been made yet,” he said when asked about suspensions. Messi missed last year’s All-Star Game as well, citing injury.

Despite his absence, Messi remains in top form — tied with Nashville’s Sam Surridge for the league lead in goals with 18, scoring braces in six of his last seven matches. Fans’ reactions were mixed, with some supporting the Argentine’s decision to rest at age 38, while others questioned his intentions — calling it a missed opportunity to grow the game in North America, and accusing MLS of using his image merely to sell tickets.

In Messi’s absence, the MLS All-Stars still delivered a commanding 3-1 victory over their Liga MX counterparts. Goals from Surridge, Tai Baribo, and Brian White sealed the win in front of over 20,000 fans.

Surridge opened the scoring in the 28th minute, heading in from close range after a rebound by Denis Bouanga. Baribo doubled the lead in the 51st minute with a crisp finish from a Diego Rossi assist, before Liga MX briefly rallied through Gilberto Mora in the 64th. White restored the two-goal cushion in the 80th minute to cap the win.

MLS coach Nico Estevez praised the players who showed up: “Messi’s the greatest — coaching him would be a dream. But the guys who played tonight deserved full respect. It was a special night.”

This was MLS’s third win in four editions of the All-Star clash with Liga MX. The two leagues will resume their rivalry in the revamped Leagues Cup, beginning July 29 with a 36-team format — 18 clubs from each league.

Whether Messi will feature in that tournament, or be elsewhere, remains the lingering question.

— With inputs from agencies