Messi and De Paul to Miss MLS Matches for Mandatory Rest After World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will not be available for Inter Miami's upcoming MLS fixtures as they enter a mandatory rest period following the 2026 World Cup. Both players were instrumental in Argentina’s run to the final, where they lost to Spain. Messi played the full 120 minutes of the championship match and started seven of Argentina’s eight tournament games. The enforced break stems from new global protocols championed by FIFPro and officially endorsed by FIFA during a meeting in 2025. The guidelines mandate a minimum of 72 hours between matches and a compulsory 21-day rest period at the end of each season. FIFA's statement confirmed the consensus on these measures to protect player welfare. According to reports, Messi and De Paul will miss at least two regular-season games: against Chicago Fire and Montreal. Inter Miami has also informed the league that both players will be unavailable for the MLS All-Star Game against a Liga MX all-star squad on July 29, as that date falls within their recovery window. Despite the defeat in the final, Messi’s individual performance was extraordinary. He scored eight goals and provided four assists, finishing as the tournament’s second top scorer behind France’s Kylian Mbappé, who netted ten. Messi also etched his name in the record books by becoming the first player to start in three separate World Cup finals (2014, 2022, 2026). His international goal tally now stands at 125.