Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi will not play in this week's MLS All-Star Game, as announced by the league on Monday. This decision comes after the Argentina superstar sustained an ankle injury during his team's Copa América final win over Colombia, eight days ago. Messi's teammate Luis Suárez will also be absent from the game due to knee discomfort, while their fellow former Barcelona stars, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, are set to participate.
Messi has been sidelined for Miami's last two league matches, both resulting in victories over Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire. The 37-year-old forward, who joined Inter Miami in July 2023 after a successful career in Europe, was looking forward to making his MLS All-Star Game debut. In his first 12 games of the 2024 season, Messi has already contributed 12 goals and 13 assists, setting a record for the quickest 25 goal contributions in an MLS season. Inter Miami currently leads the Supporters' Shield standings with 53 points, boasting an impressive performance under Messi's leadership.
Aside from Messi and Suárez, Real Salt Lake's Cristian Arango, the top goal scorer in MLS this season with 17 goals, will also be absent from the All-Star Game. Arango is serving a four-match suspension for violating the league's anti-harassment policy. His absence will also impact RSL's upcoming Leagues Cup opener against Atlas on August 1. Arango's goal-scoring prowess has been instrumental for Real Salt Lake, tying the single-season goal record set by Alvaro Saborio in 2012.
The MLS All-Star Game, featuring top talent from 18 league clubs against Mexico's Liga MX, is scheduled to take place on July 24 at 8 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio. Despite the absence of key players like Messi, Suárez, and Arango, the match promises to showcase the skill and competitiveness of the participating teams.
