
Lionel Messi banned for Inter Miami's next match after missing MLS All-Star Game
Messi's club coach Javier Mascherano told reporters on Friday the Argentinian World Cup winner had sat out the showpiece due to fatigue, while Alba is believed to have sustained a knock in their previous MLS fixture.
However, without approval from the league, both players were liable for sanction.
'Inter Miami CF defender Jordi Alba and forward Lionel Messi will be unavailable for the club's Matchday 27 game against FC Cincinnati on Saturday evening, due to their absence at the 2025 MLS All-Star Game,' read an MLS statement.
'Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club's next match.'
Despite Messi being the major star of MLS, commissioner Don Garber said the rules had to be enforced without exception, although he was open to a future amendment.
'I know Lionel Messi loves this league. I don't think there's a player – or anyone – who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi,' he said.
'I fully understand, respect, and admire his commitment to Inter Miami, and I respect his decision.
'Unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game, and we had to enforce it. It was a very difficult decision.
'That said, we're going to take a hard look at the policy moving forward. I'm committed to working with our players to determine how the rule should evolve.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Rhyl Journal
6 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Allianz UK Official Supporter of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025
The sponsorship highlights Allianz's continued commitment to supporting the women's game and is also marks a special sporting moment as the first international stadium naming rights agreement in the history of the Rugby World Cup. The World Cup, which begins on 22 August, will move across seven host cities in England before the champions of the 16-team tournament are crowned at Allianz Stadium. The winners will lift the newly unveiled Women's Rugby World Cup trophy, marking a new chapter in the tournament's history. With unprecedented interest in Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, the final at Allianz Stadium is on course to become the most attended women's rugby match in history, set to surpass the record-breaking crowd of 66,000 at Stade de France during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Allianz has a longstanding connection with rugby, spanning from elite to grassroots levels. In 2024, the iconic home of England Rugby was renamed Allianz Stadium, following the evolution of a wide-ranging partnership with England Rugby. This partnership includes support for the men's and women's national teams and investment in youth pathways. Allianz also supports grassroots rugby clubs across the UK via the Allianz Future Fund. Aligning with Allianz's strong focus and commitment to invest in fans and grassroots communities, as part of the tournament's wider purpose-led activation strategy, 'The Road to Allianz Stadium', is a partnership with global fan engagement platform Stepathlon. Designed to unite and inspire fans to get active in the build-up to the tournament, participants will be challenged to walk the equivalent distance from Sunderland's Stadium of Light – host of the opening match – to Allianz Stadium, the home of the final. Colm Holmes, CEO, Allianz UK commented: 'I'm thrilled that Allianz UK has been named as an official supporter of the Women's Rugby World Cup, and that the final will be played at Allianz Stadium. This is hugely exciting and also feels like a natural extension of our existing partnerships. We know and understand the power of sport to inspire and unite, so to be part of this journey for the Women's Rugby World Cup is very special. Ticket sales have already exceeded that of the Rugby World Cup in 2021, and I know it is going to be a terrific tournament for existing and new fans alike.' Sarah Massey, Managing Director of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, commented: 'Allianz's commitment to rugby and to using sport as a force for positive societal change makes them an ideal partner for Women's Rugby World Cup 2025. We're delighted to welcome them on this journey as we work towards delivering the biggest and most impactful women's rugby event in history, set to conclude in spectacular fashion with a record-breaking final at Allianz Stadium on 27 September.'


The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
How Palestine's Wessam Abou Ali earned a head-turning move to MLS's Columbus Crew
As soon as I stepped on the field on the King Abdullah II Stadium in southeast Amman in June, Wessam Abou Ali stepped off. Palestine had just had their dreams of the 2026 World Cup ended by a last-minute Oman penalty that was as soft as they come. While some players in white fell to their knees or collapsed crying into the arms of coaching staff, the 26-year-old, with scrunched-up shorts, exited stage left to head to the United States and the global stage of the Club World Cup with Egypt's Al-Ahly, after impressing so much on the African and Asian one. Now, after this busiest of summers, the Danish-born star has signed for Columbus Crew – a No 9 for one of MLS's best teams in need of one, and one who takes up one of the team's allotment of designated player spots, to boot. Those designations tend to carry some weight in MLS, but pressure is not going to be an issue for one of the Middle East's newest stars. This is a player who collapsed on the pitch due to a sudden spike in heart rate in 2021 while in action for Vendsyssel FF in Denmark before waking up in an ambulance and being out of action for nine months. Within weeks of his return, he suffered another serious injury, including fractured ribs and a punctured lung. After undergoing surgery, the rangy striker admitted that he had thought about giving it all up but returned with a renewed conviction. He has been making up for lost time ever since. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion Originally from Aalborg, Denmark's fourth-largest city where his family had eventually ended up after leaving Palestine in 1948, the forward spent time in the local league before a move to Sirius in Sweden in 2023 was followed by 10 goals in 16 games. That earned a significant move in January 2024 to Al-Ahly – regarded by most as the biggest club in Africa, with demanding fans and a media dominated by impatient and critical ex-players. He made it look easy. Despite arriving in Cairo well after the Egyptian Premier League season started, Abou Ali grabbed the 2024-25 golden boot with 18 goals. As well as the individual prize, he helped the team to a league and a Caf Champions League title. In all, he managed 35 goals and 10 assists in just 57 appearances for the Red Giants. He couldn't quite help Al-Ahly to a second successive Champions League triumph, as they fell at the semi-final stage on away goals in May. There was little time to dwell on that, though, as he was off to help Palestine qualify for a first World Cup. Abou Ali represented Denmark at the youth level but due to his obvious talent, heritage and public support of Palestine, he had long been on the radar of The Fedayeen. His debut came in 2024, at the end of the second round of World Cup qualification in Asia and Palestine's place in the third round for the first time ever, to fight it out with 17 nations for the biggest of prizes. Despite all the challenges that the team faced on the road to 2026, not least having to play every game on foreign soil due to the situation at home, that Palestine came so close to reaching the playoffs was a testament to spirit, skill and determination. 'It would be a dream to go to the World Cup,' Abou Ali said in June. 'It would mean so much to everyone.' He quickly became the cutting edge, scoring four of the team's 10 goals in the third round, including one of the most famous strikes in Palestine's history. To get to the World Cup playoffs, only three wins from the last three group games would do. Being 1-0 down in the first of those to Iraq with just minutes to go in March was not ideal but then Abou Ali, whose physicality had caused problems all night, timed his run perfectly to meet a corner at the near post to head into the opposite side of the net. A dramatic and wildly celebrated winner soon followed. Then it was to Kuwait on 5 June, another must-win game at the home of a team in the same situation. Palestine were already a goal to the good when Abou Ali, shorts scrunched up, stepped up to stroke home a penalty that sealed the victory to keep the dream alive for five more days, before it was ended by Oman thanks to a late spot kick. As the Palestine FA made an official complaint to Fifa about Oman's penalty, Abou Ali was already off to the United States and the Fifa Club World Cup. For Al-Ahly, there was a perfect hat-trick against Porto, an incredible feat for a Palestinian international playing for an Egyptian club against a former European champion. Reports in Egypt talked of more and more interest and more and more bids. Al-Ahly fans took to social media to implore the star to stay and were devastated when he did not, testament to the impact that he has had on such a huge stage in a short space of time. From Cairo to Columbus via World Cup and Club World Cup heartbreak and much more besides, Wessam Abou Ali is a major star on the planet's two biggest continents and is ready for a third. There is a sense that he is just getting started.


Scotsman
31 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Hibs confirm Grant Hanley signing: Contract length revealed, why he's been signed and David Gray verdict
Head coach delighted to land experienced centre-half for season Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs head coach David Gray hailed the leadership and defensive qualities of Grant Hanley after the Easter Road club secured a deal for the Scotland internationalist. Hanley, 33, has been a free agent since his Birmingham City contract expired earlier this summer and the 62-times capped centre-half has penned a two-year contract with Hibs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The capital club were keen to bolster their defensive options even before the sale of Australia internationalist Lewis Miller to Blackburn Rovers. However, after he moved to the English Championship club for a transfer in the region of £1 million, Hibs have moved swiftly to reinforce. Grant Hanley has signed a two-year deal with Hibs. | SNS Group Despite amassing a large number of caps for Scotland, Hanley has never played north of the border. Born in Dumfries, he started his professional career at Blackburn Rovers before moving to Newcastle United. He then joined Norwich City, where he captained the Canaries to promotion to the Premier League, before leaving Carrow Road in January in search of first-team football. Hanley remains an integral part of manager Steve Clarke's squad and knows that he needs to play regular first-team football to be in with a shout of playing in World Cup qualifiers, which start next month away at Denmark and Belarus. 'It's great to be able to bring Grant to the club,' said Gray. 'He's performed at a top-level throughout his career and has a real desire to compete at the highest level in his home nation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He's a strong, robust defender that can play in any role across our back three. He's a real leader both on and off the pitch and a player of his experience will add a lot to the team. I look forward to working with him.' Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay added: 'We've been keen to add another defender to the First Team squad, and we did everything in our power to make sure that we could bring in someone of Grant Hanley's calibre. He had a number of different options, but we're delighted he saw Hibs as the right club for him.