Lionel Messi isn’t the only one suspended — his Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba has also been hit with a ban.
The suspension was expected, but it still came as a harsh blow to Messi. It’s clear he’s struggling to come to terms with the decision. Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas revealed the Argentine superstar is deeply frustrated and warned the decision could have negative consequences.
Messi and Alba were each handed a one-match ban by Major League Soccer (MLS) for skipping the All-Star game. As a result, both will miss Inter Miami’s upcoming match against FC Cincinnati, scheduled for early Sunday morning Bangladesh time.
The two stars had been selected to the MLS All-Star squad by fan and media votes, but neither played in the match against the Liga MX All-Stars from Mexico. According to longstanding MLS rules, players who are not injured must have prior approval from the league if they choose to skip the game — otherwise, they face suspension.
The All-Star game, played last Wednesday in Austin, Texas, ended in a 3-1 win for the MLS team.
On Friday, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano explained that fatigue and exhaustion from back-to-back games had kept Messi and Alba out of the squad.
But that explanation wasn’t enough. MLS handed down the punishment in line with its rules.
Club co-owner Jorge Mas told reporters that Messi didn’t take the news lightly:
“He’s very disappointed today… extremely angry. And that’s expected. I hope this doesn’t have any long-term consequences. But will this affect how players perceive the league’s policies? Absolutely, without a doubt.”
Mas also pointed out that Messi and Alba hadn’t expected to be suspended for missing an exhibition match:
“They want to compete. They want to play. That’s why they’re here — to play and to win. They know how important the next match is. So their reaction is understandable. These are two passionate competitors who simply can’t understand why skipping a friendly leads to suspension.”
He added that the decision to skip the All-Star match was made by the club, not the players, and that the league had been informed in advance, on both Monday and Tuesday. However, Mas did not clarify whether MLS had granted official permission.
When asked about the league’s strict policy, Mas suggested it might be time to reconsider the rule:
“Rules are rules, yes. But they (Messi and Alba) don’t understand this one… In my opinion, this kind of punishment under this rule feels unnecessarily harsh.”
