Lionel Messi is set to miss the MLS All-Star Game for the second season running, yet this time he will escape a suspension, Major League Soccer announced Saturday. The league’s stance softened after the 2026 World Cup, where Messi and Rodrigo De Paul played in the final.

A year earlier, Messi received a one‑game ban for skipping the fixture, a move Jorge Mas described as “draconian” and said left him “extremely upset.” With the surface new agreement, players exiting the World Cup will have individual rest discussions before returning to training.

Under this arrangement, Messi, De Paul, and other rest‑listed players—including Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Hugo Cuypers—were excused from the match. Their spots were filled by Yannick Bright, Andrés Cubas, Guilherme, and Philip Zinckernagel, while stars like Son Heung‑Min and Thomas Müller took the field.

The game, set for Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, will pit Inter Miami’s squad against Liga MX All practicals. The decision underscores MLS’s commitment to player welfare after mandatory 21‑day rests agreed by FIFPRO and FIFA.