Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team-mate Jordi Alba have been given one-match bans for skipping Major League Soccer’s All-Star game earlier this week.
Both players missed Wednesday’s match in Austin, Texas where the MLS squad posted a 3-1 win against Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars.
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“Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club’s next match,” MLS said in a statement on Friday.
As a result, the duo will now miss Miami’s home league fixture against FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said suspending Messi was a “very difficult decision”.
“I know Lionel Messi loves this league,” he added.
“I don’t think there’s a player – or anyone – who has done more for MLS than Messi. I fully understand, respect, and admire his commitment to Inter Miami, and I respect his decision.
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“Unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game and we had to enforce it.”
Argentina legend Messi, 38, has scored 18 goals in as many appearances for Javier Mascherano’s side in the MLS this season, while Alba, 36, has featured 19 times in the league.
The duo, who also played together at Barcelona from 2012 to 2021, were also part of the Miami side’s run to the quarter-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup.
Since their exit from the tournament at the hands of eventual finalists Paris St-Germain, Miami have played five matches this month with Messi scoring eight times.
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Speaking to ESPN earlier in the day, Miami head coach Mascherano said forward “showed normal fatigue from the number of games and minutes he’s been playing.”
“Look, players always have discomfort, especially when they play every three days.”
