Credit: Google
According to Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas, Lionel Messi is very upset after being banned for one-game for missing the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star game. Mas believes that handing a one-match suspension to a player like Messi is rather "draconian". Both Messi and his teammate Jordi Alba will serve a one-match ban. They were absent from the game in Texas, where the team secured a 3-1 victory over Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars. Inter Miami's upcoming home match against FC Cincinnati is scheduled for Sunday, July 27.
MLS, in its statement, said, "Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club's next match." According to Mas, the club decided to rest the two players after they had featured in nine matches over just 36 days, due to the demanding schedule that included the Concacaf Champions League, MLS regular season, and FIFA Club World Cup commitments.
Messi loves this league a lot and has done a lot for MLS," Don Garber says
MLS Commissioner Don Garber feels that the suspension of Messi is quite a difficult decision. This becomes much harder for him to digest, since he loves this league. "I don't think there's a player - or anyone - who has done more for MLS than Messi. I fully understand, respect, and admire his commitment to Inter Miami, and I respect his decision. "Unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game, and we had to enforce it," Garber said while speaking to the BBC.
The 38-year old Argentine legend Messi scored 18 goals in MLS this season under Javier Mascherano’s guidance, while Alba, 36, has made 19 league appearances. The pair, who were teammates at Barcelona from 2012 to 2021, also played key roles in Inter Miami’s journey to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Inter Miami are currently positioned fifth in the Eastern Conference, and are behind the league leaders Cincinnati by seven points is setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown when the two sides face off on Sunday.
