Will Lionel Messi Play in the MLS All-Star Game?

Lionel Messi of Inter Miami will not play in this week's MLS All-Star Game, Major League Soccer said on Monday, a little over a week after the Argentine ace suffered an ankle injury in the Copa America final. Messi is not unavailable for Wednesday's encounter in Columbus, Ohio, where MLS All-Stars from 18 league teams will face elite talent from Mexico's Liga MX. 

This would have been the 37-year-old's first MLS All-Star Game appearance after joining Inter Miami in July 2023 after a successful career in Europe. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has had a strong start with Inter Miami, scoring 12 goals and assisting 13 times in his first 12 games of 2024, being the quickest to reach 25 goal contributions in an MLS season. 

Messi was anticipated to play in the annual MLS XI and the Liga MX XI encounter. However, like fellow Inter Miami attacker Luis Suarez, he is classified as unavailable on the MLS website. In contrast, their colleagues Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are in the lineup.

No update on Lionel Messi

As per India Today, "Leo Messi will miss the All-Star Game due to an ankle injury, while Luis Suárez, who recently returned from international duty after over 40 days away from the club, will miss the All-Star Game due to knee discomfort," the club said, according to the Miami Herald's Michelle Kaufman. "Their availability for Saturday's League's Cup match will be assessed based on their daily recovery process."

While it's still unclear when Lionel Messi will be back for Inter Miami as the club has not provided any timeline for his return. The club has stated that they will examine his fitness before getting ready for play. Currently, Lionel Messi will need time for his recovery. 

MLS All-Star Team: Hugo Lloris, Jordi Alba, Thiago Martins, Justen Glad, Riqui Puig, Sergio Busquets, Luciano Acosta, Cristian 'Chicho' Arango, Federico Bernardeschi, Denis Bouang, Diego Rossi