July 25 – The rules are clear: show up for the Major League Soccer All-Star Game, or sit out your club’s next match. Simple as that.
Yet here we are, watching Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba ghost the Austin festivities while MLS brass maintains radio silence. The question isn’t whether they’ll face suspension, it’s whether anyone has the courage to send Messi to the naughty bin.
Compare this to his club owner, and David Beckham’s MLS tenure. ‘Golden Balls’ understood the assignment from day one. When selected for All-Star duty, he showed up, smiled for the cameras, and played his part in growing the league’s profile.
Beckham grasped that his superstar status came with obligations, not exemptions. He treated MLS like a partner, not a pit stop.
Messi? Different story entirely. The Argentine has turned no-showing into an art form, with Alba as his willing accomplice. No explanation offered for their Austin absence, not even the courtesy of a manufactured injury report.
The timing reeks of entitlement or Messi is he just knackered or broken?
Inter Miami have played five matches in July following their Club World Cup humiliation against PSG. Messi’s getting paid a reported $50-60 million annually which means showing up when the league needs its biggest star.
The suspension rule exists for good reason. When LA Galaxy star, Zlatan Ibrahimović skipped the 2018 festivities, he faced the music with typical Zlatan ego.
“They do whatever they want. I come from a different world, I come from the real world,” the Swede declared.
“It is what it is. I respect in the end, and I’m sorry for my teammates only that I could not help them in the game… But yeah, people are interested in different things. They lose on it, and for me it doesn’t matter.”
Zlatan’s defiance was refreshingly honest. He called the rule “ridiculous”, served his suspension, and moved on. No special pleading, no behind-the-scenes machinations.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Miami’s next opponent is FC Cincinnati, who lead the Eastern Conference and demolished them 3-0 in their last meeting. Will Messi and Alba be available or will the league disappoint the Messi ‘mania’ following the aging superstar.
The All-Star Game has evolved since 1996, morphing from East-West exhibition to Liga MX showcase. But its core purpose remains – celebrating the league while honouring its biggest names. Beckham understood that responsibility. Messi apparently doesn’t.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1753511957labto1753511957ofdlr1753511957owedi1753511957sni@o1753511957fni1753511957