Lionel Messi will not be required to participate in next week’s MLS All-Star Game after helping Argentina reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, Major League Soccer (MLS) confirmed on Saturday.

The Inter Miami captain was previously suspended for missing last year’s All-Star showcase, an annual event that features the league’s biggest stars taking on a select team from Liga MX. Under MLS rules, participation is generally mandatory unless a player is unavailable due to injury or receives special approval from the league.

This year, however, the circumstances are different. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place during the MLS season, the league paused its schedule for seven weeks and agreed in advance that players who progressed to the latter stages of the tournament would be granted additional recovery time.

In an official statement, MLS explained that an agreement reached before the start of the 2026 season with the MLS Players Association (MLSPA) allows clubs to determine an appropriate return-to-play schedule for players following their World Cup campaigns.

“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 added that both Lionel Messi and fellow Argentina international Rodrigo De Paul have been officially excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.

Both players featured in last Sunday’s World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Argentina suffered a narrow 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain.

Messi had originally been named among the first selections for the MLS All-Star squad. In his absence, the spotlight will now fall on several high-profile stars, including Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC, Thomas Müller of the Vancouver Whitecaps, and United States captain Tim Ream, who currently plays for Charlotte FC.

The decision marks a notable contrast to last season when Messi and former Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba received one-match suspensions after withdrawing from the MLS All-Star Game shortly before kickoff.

At the time, MLS Commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the demanding schedule faced by the Argentine superstar, describing the suspension as a difficult decision while revealing that the league would review its long-standing All-Star participation policy.

Despite those comments, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas later revealed that Messi was “very upset” by the suspension, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding player workload and mandatory appearances during an increasingly congested football calendar.