MLS confirmed to Sports Illustrated that both Messi and his fellow Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba are no longer on the MLS All-Star roster. The two superstars, who were originally named to the 26-player squad last month, are set to miss out on this year’s clash with the Liga MX All-Stars.

Lionel Messi won't play in the MLS All-Star Game, the league announced before the July 23 exhibition against LIGA MX standouts.

Lionel Messi has been the most visible superstar in Major League Soccer since joining American club Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, and as such his surprise absence from the 2025 MLS All-Star game came as a shock.