Lionel Messi seems to have opened a can of worms for himself. After igniting massive expectations by teasing an appearance in the 2025 MLS All-Star match against the Liga MX All-Stars, the Argentine forward was a complete no-show—failing to make the squad or appear at all. The reason? Not injury, but… rest. Sure, his absence didn’t hurt the MLS All-Stars, who comfortably cruised to a 3-1 win over their Mexican counterparts. But the dust is far from settled, with Messi now facing the possibility of a suspension.

Every Inter Miami match has sold out in the name of La Pulga. Yet, the league and Lionel Messi’s entourage announcing his absence just a day before the match—an event that attracted most of its audience solely for him—was bound to stir chaos in the MLS community. And for the league stakeholders, it allegedly forced them to consider a bold step: suspending Messi for Saturday’s league game against FC Cincinnati. This came against the backdrop of an MLS rule stating that any player who skips the All-Star event without a valid medical reason can face a one-game suspension.

Since the suspension news broke, reactions have been mixed. Some fans supported the punishment, while others felt it was harsh—arguing that the former Barcelona star had featured in nearly every game and deserved to skip at least one, especially an exhibition match. As the debate continues to stir the soccer world, MLS Commissioner Don Garber finally weighed in on the matter.

Amid the ongoing suspension buzz, Garber stated, “We had Leo playing 90 minutes in almost all the games that he’s played. … We have to manage through that as a league. At the same time, we do have rules, and we have to manage through that as well, so we would have loved to have Leo here. … We should’ve known earlier, we should’ve addressed it earlier,” as quoted by Golazo America on X.

Of course, Messi isn’t alone—his teammate Jordi Alba, who was also voted into the All-Star team, failed to show up for the game citing the same reason: rest. Honestly, one should have figured it out from Javier Mascherano’s subtle yet clear take on the presence of either player in the All-Star match, saying, “The players are called up; I would like them to be able to rest, but that is not my decision.” 

That justifies Messi’s 16 goals in just 17 MLS games so far. Clearly, the World Cup winner has been giving a lot this season. Then again, coming back to Don Gaber’s statement, quite a diplomatic response, to be fair. Though the MLS Commissioner admits things could have been made clear in a much better way, there’s still no definitive answer if whether Messi and even Alba, for that matter, would be awarded a one-match suspension or not.

Only time will tell whether the MLS stakeholders decide to take action. For now, Messi may need to reflect—not just on his decision to skip the match, but on the aftermath that it has triggered, which could easily impact his image.

Lionel Messi isn’t doing any favors for himself

Today’s absence of Lionel Messi at Q2 Stadium for the All-Stars game wasn’t taken well by renowned American journalist Favian Renkel. In fact, he has rather sent a warning to the former PSG superstar over betraying the All-Star audience with his absence. “Lionel Messi is quickly becoming a villain in the eyes of neutral MLS fans. The league’s MVP isn’t doing himself any favors when it comes to winning over supporters outside of Miami,” wrote Renkel in a tweet.

Surprisingly, Favian wasn’t done here. While he had to accept that the 8x Ballon d’Or winner couldn’t attend last season’s game due to an injury, skipping this year’s edition even after no injury concerns whatsoever is making the 37-year-old a straight red flag in the eyes of other fans. “The MLS All Star Game is one of the few things that sets the league apart from the rest of the global soccer landscape,” continued the journalist.

“If you think Lionel Messi playing in it wouldn’t help grow MLS, you’re mistaken. Just a few clips of him in action could generate massive interest from fans around the world, especially those unfamiliar with what an All-Star Game even is,” added Renkel, insisting there are many who care about this mere friendly match. Yet, here we saw Lionel Messi missing the crucial event.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.