Inter Miami’s star player and one of the greats of the game of football, Lionel Messi will not be participating in this week’s Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star game, the league confirmed on Monday, July 22. This confirmation from the MLS comes a week after the Argentine international was subbed during the Copa America 2024 finale with an ankle injury.
The 37-year-old, who was listed among the unavailable players for the Wednesday’s match in Columbus, Ohio, will miss the upcoming match, where stars from 18 league clubs will compete against the top talent from Mexico’s LIGA MX. If Messi would have been fit to play the MLS All-Star game, it would have marked his debut following his move to Inter Miami in July 2023.
“Leo Messi will miss the All-Star Game due to an ankle injury,” the club said, according to the Miami Herald’s Michelle Kaufman.
Luis Suarez also ruled out of MLS All-Star Game
Apart from Lionel Messi, Inter Miami star, “Luis Suarez, who recently returned from international duty after over 40 days away from the club, will miss the All-Star Game due to knee discomfort”, Michelle Kaufman further added.
The Miami Herald journalist further asserted that their availability for the League’s Cup match will be based on medical assessment. “Their availability for Saturday’s League’s Cup match will be assessed based on their daily recovery process,” she added.
Furthermore, it is to be noted that Messi’s teammates, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are included in the lineup for the All-Stra game. The MLS roster also includes notable players like Hugo Lioris, Christian Benteke and Federico Bernardeschi. On the other hand, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Saloman Rondon will star in the Liga MX All-Stars lineup.