AUSTIN, Texas – Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba will not participate in Wednesday night’s All-Star Game, the league confirmed Wednesday.
Miami communicated to the league that the two players would not be traveling or playing in the game, a spokesperson said. MLS has a policy that players who are not injured and opt to not participate in the All-Star Game are then suspended for one league match, in an effort to encourage involvement.
MLS did not immediately confirm that Messi and Alba will be suspended for Miami’s home match on Saturday night against table-topping FC Cincinnati.
“The league office needs to speak with the club before we confirm player availability for Saturday,” a spokesperson said.
MLS has enforced the rule with big-name stars before. Former LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimović was suspended one game in 2018 for skipping the event, and Ibrahimović openly criticized the policy.
“I think it is ridiculous, but yeah, no comments,” Ibrahimović told reporters at the time. “They do whatever they want. I come from a different world, I come from the real world.
“It is what it is. I respect in the end, and I’m sorry for my teammates only that I could not help them in the game. But yeah, people are interested in different things. They lose on it, and for me it doesn’t matter.”
Liga MX confirmed to The Athletic on Tuesday night that Club León star James Rodríguez, who was originally slated to compete in Tuesday’s Skills Challenge along with Alba, also did not travel for the game.
One of the highly touted global stars supposed to take part in the event will be present, though. Monterrey defender and former Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos is expected to arrive Wednesday and had his participation confirmed by Liga MX president Mikel Arriola, who added that Ramos will captain Liga MX’s side. It’ll be his second MLS All-Star Game (2017, with Madrid).
(Top photo: Ira L. Black/Getty Images)
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