Lionel Messi, Inter Miami and Major League Soccer experienced the worst week in their two years together, collectively mishandling his 2025 All-Star Game absence.
Messi and Jordi Alba were disciplined by MLS commissioner Don Garber for skipping the All-Star Game, causing them to miss a marquee matchup against first-place FC Cincinnati on Saturday, July 26.
Soccer fans won’t see Messi, the 2024 MLS MVP, on a grand stage against Cincinnati’s Evander, a rising Brazilian who captained the MLS All-Stars in Messi’s place and is in the conversation with him for 2025 MVP.
Instead, there will be numerous shots of Messi stewing in an on-field suite, likely sitting next to Inter Miami’s newest signee, Argentina World Cup-winning teammate Rodrigo De Paul.
The situation marks the lowest point of the Messi era in this the league’s 30th season – all while he’s been in ongoing contract negotiations to continue his career with Inter Miami.
