Messi, Alba Handed One-Match Suspensions for Skipping MLS All-Star Game

Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have each been hit with a one-match suspension after failing to appear at Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game earlier this week.

The duo were absent from Wednesday’s showcase match in Austin, Texas, where MLS All-Stars defeated their Liga MX counterparts 3-1.

According to league regulations, players who miss the All-Star event without prior approval are automatically ruled out of their club’s next league match. As a result, Messi and Alba will sit out Inter Miami’s upcoming home fixture against FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the difficulty of enforcing the rule in Messi’s case.

“It was a very tough decision,” Garber said. “Lionel Messi has done more for MLS than perhaps any other individual. I admire his dedication to Inter Miami, and I understand his decision. But we have a policy in place for All-Star participation, and it must be upheld.”

Messi, 38, has been in sensational form this season, scoring 18 goals in 18 league appearances. Alba, 36, has played in 19 matches. Both were key figures in Inter Miami’s run to the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals earlier this year, where they were eventually knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain.

Since that exit, Miami have played five matches in July, with Messi netting eight goals during the stretch.

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano told ESPN earlier on Friday that the Argentine forward has been feeling the effects of a demanding schedule.

“Players are bound to experience discomfort, especially when they’re playing every three days,” Mascherano said. “He’s just dealing with the normal fatigue that comes with that workload.”