Messi to miss MLS All-Star Game again - this time for rest after World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi will skip the MLS All-Star Game for the second straight year. Last summer, the Argentine was suspended for one league match after skipping the exhibition in Austin without a valid reason. This time, his absence comes with a far more understandable cause: extra recovery time following the 2026 World Cup final. The league announced four roster changes for the MLS side that faces a selection of Liga MX All-Stars on Thursday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Alongside Messi, Ugo Keipers (bound for Monterrey), Rodrigo De Paul, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi have been removed from the squad. Replacing them are Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright, Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andres Cubas, Houston Dynamo forward Guillerme, and Chicago Fire attacker Philip Zinkernagel. A fifth substitution may be necessary: Vancouver's Sebastian Berhalter, who also returned from the World Cup, is finalizing a move to Middlesbrough this week. Last year's controversy saw Messi and Jordi Alba draw a one-game ban after skipping the All-Star event. But now the context is entirely different. Both Messi and De Paul played deep into the 2026 World Cup with Argentina - all the way to the final - and that extra workload earned them a deserved breather before rejoining their clubs. This marks the fifth time in six seasons that the MLS All-Star roster will face a selection from Mexico's top flight.