A year after being suspended a game for skipping MLS’s All-Star Game, Lionel Messi is missing out again — but this time his absence is excused.Messi is one of four players who MLS replaced on Saturday, with Golden Boot leader Hugo Cuypers (transferred to Monterrey), Rodrigo De Paul and Mbekezeli Mbokazi also no longer on MLS’s squad that will face a group of Liga MX All-Stars at Charlotte FC’s Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night.Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright, Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andrés Cubas, Houston Dynamo forward Guilherme and Chicago Fire forward Philip Zinckernagel are their replacements.It’s certainly possible a fifth replacement is needed with Vancouver’s Sebastian Berhalter — also coming off the World Cup — set for a transfer to Middlesbrough, as reported by The Athletic this week.For foreign starpower, MLS will lean on Son Heung-min and Thomas Müller, while U.S. World Cup players Matt Freese, Tim Ream, Max Arfsten and — as of now — Berhalter are also on the squad. Croatian World Cup striker Petar Musa and rising U.S. talents Julian Hall and Zavier Gozo also headline the group, which will be without the league’s biggest draw.Messi was central to an All-Star controversy last summer. Per MLS rules, any player who skips the All-Star Game without an injury is subject to a one-game suspension. Messi and Jordi Alba, who had been part of Miami’s whirlwind summer that included a run at the FIFA Club World Cup, did not attend the festivities in Austin and were promptly suspended in a decision that Miami owner Jorge Mas decried as “draconian.”The World Cup has added a complicating factor this year, particularly for players who embarked on a run to the end of the tournament. That applies to Messi and De Paul, who reached the final with Argentina on July 19. Therefore, it’s little surprise that they’re due time to rest and recover before returning to action for their club. Both players missed Miami’s midweek win over the Chicago Fire and won’t feature Saturday night at CF Montréal either.“Prior to the start of the 2026 season, Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Association agreed that upon a player’s exit from the World Cup competition, clubs would have individual conversations with each player to determine the appropriate rest and return to training and competition timeline. Consistent with that agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game,” the league wrote in a statement.MLS, for the fifth time in six years, will face a group of stars from Mexico’s top flight. Five of Liga MX’s stars featured for Mexico at the World Cup: Gilberto Mora, Erik Lira, Jesús Gallardo, Armando González and former U.S. international Brian Gutiérrez. Another former U.S. international who now represents Mexico, Richy Ledezma, will also play for Liga MX, along with Costa Rican goalkeeping great Keylor Navas.MLS’s updated All-Star squad after Saturday’s changes is now:GOALKEEPERS: Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC)DEFENDERS: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Anthony Markanich (Minnesota United), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Daniel Munie (San Jose Earthquakes), Andy Najar (Nashville SC), Jackson Ragen (Seattle Sounders), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC)MIDFIELDERS: Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Pep Biel (Charlotte FC), Yannick Bright (Inter Miami), Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps), Evander (FC Cincinnati), Carles Gil (New England Revolution), Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Thomas Müller (Vancouver Whitecaps), Ashley Westwood (Charlotte FC)FORWARDS: Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC), Guilherme (Houston Dynamo), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York), Son Heung-Min (LAFC), Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Sam Surridge (Nashville SC), Philip Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire)