Messi and Alba to face suspension on skipping all-star game as both players did not travel for the scheduled game.
Messi and Alba will not play in Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game even though they were chosen for it; as a result, both Inter Miami players will be suspended from their team’s upcoming game.
Messi and Alba were not present at this week’s All-Star events in Austin, Texas, which culminate in a friendly match on Wednesday night against a similarly selected team from LigaMX in Mexico. Alba was withdrawn from the All-Star skills competition that was slated for Tuesday night. Alba’s withdrawal was not explained, and MLS has not made any public remarks regarding Messi and Alba’s absences.
Since the league’s founding in 1996, the MLS All-Star game has existed, albeit in several iterations. A single MLS All-Star team has faced renowned teams from around the globe (Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus have all faced them in the past), although it began as a typical East vs. West format utilised in other US leagues. However, the game has matched Liga MX’s team against MLS’s in five of the last six seasons.
The game this year takes place during a busy time for the league. After losing to PSG in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup, Inter Miami has already played five games this July. Less than two days after the All-Star game, some league games resume play on Friday. Games on Wednesday of the following week mark the beginning of the yearly Leagues Cup competition between MLS teams and Liga MX.
Miami’s next game is against FC Cincinnati, who currently top the Eastern Conference and defeated Miami 3-0 in their previous meeting, thus Messi and Alba’s absences will be felt greatly. On Wednesday, Miami will play Atlas in the Leagues Cup.
The circumstances involving Messi and Alba are not new. After missing that year’s All-Star tournament, Zlatan Ibrahimović received a one-game suspension in 2018, which he later labelled “ridiculous” in remarks to reporters.