Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has been granted a break from this year`s Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star Game following Argentina`s run to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, with league officials allowing the veteran forward additional recovery time before he returns to club action.
MLS confirmed on Saturday that Messi and fellow Argentina international Rodrigo De Paul have both been excused from the annual showcase under an agreement reached with the MLS Players Association before the start of the season.
The arrangement allows clubs to determine an appropriate recovery and return-to-play schedule for players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup, which forced a seven-week pause in the MLS season.
"Prior to the start of the 2026 season, Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Association agreed that upon a player`s exit from the World Cup competition, clubs would have individual conversations with each player to determine the appropriate rest and return to training and competition timeline," the league said in a statement.
It added that, in line with that agreement, Messi and De Paul would not be required to take part in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.
Argentina finished runners-up at the World Cup after losing 1-0 to Spain in extra time in last Sunday`s final in New Jersey, ending the team`s bid to retain the title.
Messi had originally been selected among the first group of players named to the MLS All-Star squad, which will face Liga MX All-Stars in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
Despite the absence of the Argentine superstar, this year`s event will still feature several high-profile names, including newly arrived Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min, Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Muller and Charlotte FC defender and United States captain Tim Ream.
The decision marks a different outcome from last year, when Messi and former Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba received one-match suspensions after pulling out of the MLS All-Star Game at the last minute without an approved exemption.
Following that controversy, MLS Commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the heavy demands on Messi`s schedule and said the league would review its long-standing policy on mandatory participation in the All-Star event.
Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas later revealed that the Argentine captain had been "very upset" by the suspension.
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