Latest news with #Miami
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Messi suspended after skipping MLS All-Star game
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team-mate Jordi Alba have been given one-match bans for skipping Major League Soccer's All-Star game earlier this players missed Wednesday's match in Austin, Texas where the MLS squad posted a 3-1 win against Mexico's Liga MX All-Stars. "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," MLS said in a statement on a result, the duo will now miss Miami's home league fixture against FC Cincinnati on commissioner Don Garber said suspending Messi was a "very difficult decision". "I know Lionel Messi loves this league," he added. "I don't think there's a player - or anyone - who has done more for MLS than Messi. 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."Argentina legend Messi, 38, has scored 18 goals in as many appearances for Javier Mascherano's side in the MLS this season, while Alba, 36, has featured 19 times in the duo, who also played together at Barcelona from 2012 to 2021, were also part of the Miami side's run to the quarter-finals of the Fifa Club World their exit from the tournament at the hands of eventual finalists Paris St-Germain, Miami have played five matches this month with Messi scoring eight to ESPN earlier in the day, Miami head coach Mascherano said forward "showed normal fatigue from the number of games and minutes he's been playing.""Look, players always have discomfort, especially when they play every three days."
CBS News
9 minutes ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba suspended by MLS for skipping All-Star Game
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba were suspended one match by Major League Soccer for skipping its All-Star Game, the league announced Friday. Messi and Alba did not suit up for the match between the MLS and Liga MX of Mexico despite being voted to the game. Messi did not play to rest amid a packed schedule and Alba was dealing with a previous injury. Per MLS rules, any player who doesn't participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club's next match. The players will miss Miami's home match Saturday against FC Cincinnati, which sits atop the Eastern Conference standings. As Inter Miami awaited the league's decision, both Messi and Alba practiced with the club on Friday in anticipation of playing in Saturday's match. "I know Lionel Messi loves this league," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "I don't think there's a player — or anyone — who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi. 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." Garber added that the league will re-evaluate the policy and work with players to "determine how the rule should evolve."
Al-Ahram Weekly
10 minutes ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Messi, Alba suspended over MLS All-Star no-show: league - World
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami team-mate Jordi Alba have been suspended after the duo skipped Major League Soccer's All-Star game earlier this week, the league said Friday. MLS said in a statement Messi and Alba would be unavailable for Saturday's clash against FC Cincinnati "due to their absence" at this week's All-Star showpiece. "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," the league said in a brief statement. Messi and Alba had both been selected to play for a combined MLS side in Wednesday's game against a team drawn from Mexico's Liga-MX as part of the league's All-Star break. However, both players withdrew from the showpiece early Wednesday for reasons that were not revealed. The 11th-hour snub left Messi and Alba both facing sanction. Under MLS rules, players selected for the All-Star game must participate unless they have a valid reason -- such as an injury -- not to do so. MLS commissioner Don Garber said Friday the league had been left with no choice but to suspend players from duty this weekend, describing the ruling as a "very difficult decision". "I know Lionel Messi loves this league," Garber said. "I don't think there's a player -- or anyone -- who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi. 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." Garber however said MLS would review its existing policy in future. "We're going to take a hard look at the policy moving forward," he said. "I'm committed to working with our players to determine how the rule should evolve." Speaking on Wednesday, Garber said the league should have known earlier about the no-show, but expressed some sympathy for the gruelling schedule faced by Messi in recent weeks. The 38-year-old Argentinian superstar has played nine games in 35 days and played 90 minutes in each game, including four games in the FIFA Club World Cup. "Miami's had a schedule that is unlike any other team," Garber said. "Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn't. So, we have to manage through that as a league." Messi and Alba's participation in the game had been under a cloud after Miami coach Javier Mascherano indicated last weekend he would have preferred the duo to be excused from All-Star duties. "The players are called up. I'd prefer they rest, but it's not my decision," Mascherano said. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Major League Soccer: Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba handed suspensions - here's why
Lionel Messi (R) and Jordi Alba (L) have been suspended for one game by the league for missing the All-Star Game. (AP) Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba of Inter Miami have been suspended by Major League Soccer for missing Wednesday's All-Star game, making them ineligible for Saturday's match against FC Cincinnati. The league announced the suspension on Friday, enforcing its policy that requires selected players to participate in the All-Star game unless they have valid reasons for absence. The duo withdrew from the showcase event early Wednesday without revealing their reasons. The game was set to feature a combined MLS team against players from Mexico's Liga-MX as part of the league's All-Star break. MLS rules mandate that players chosen for the All-Star game must participate unless they have a valid excuse, such as an injury. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "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," the league stated. MLS Commissioner Don Garber described it as a challenging decision to enforce the suspension. "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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 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." Garber indicated the league would review its existing policy. "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." The Commissioner acknowledged the demanding schedule Messi has faced, noting that the 38-year-old Argentine has played nine games in 35 days, including four FIFA Club World Cup matches. "Miami's had a schedule that is unlike any other team. Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn't. So we have to manage through that as a league," Garber said. The situation had been anticipated when Miami coach Javier Mascherano expressed his preference for the players to rest instead of participating in the All-Star game. "The players are called up. I'd prefer they rest, but it's not my decision," Mascherano had stated last weekend. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Messi, Alba suspended over MLS All-Star no-show: league
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami team-mate Jordi Alba have been suspended after the duo skipped Major League Soccer's All-Star game earlier this week, the league said Friday. MLS said in a statement Messi and Alba would be unavailable for Saturday's clash against FC Cincinnati "due to their absence" at this week's All-Star showpiece. "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," the league said in a brief statement. Messi and Alba had both been selected to play for a combined MLS side in Wednesday's game against a team drawn from Mexico's Liga-MX as part of the league's All-Star break. However both players withdrew from the showpiece early Wednesday for reasons that were not revealed. The 11th-hour snub left Messi and Alba both facing sanction. Under MLS rules, players selected for the All-Star game must participate unless they have a valid reason -- such as an injury -- not to do so. MLS commissioner Don Garber said Friday the league had been left with no choice but to suspend players from duty this weekend, describing the ruling as a "very difficult decision". "I know Lionel Messi loves this league," Garber said. "I don't think there's a player -- or anyone -- who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi. 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." Garber however said MLS would review its existing policy in future. "We're going to take a hard look at the policy moving forward," he said. "I'm committed to working with our players to determine how the rule should evolve." Speaking on Wednesday, Garber said the league should have known earlier about the no-show, but expressed some sympathy for the gruelling schedule faced by Messi in recent weeks. The 38-year-old Argentinian superstar has played nine games in 35 days and played 90 minutes in each game, including four games in the FIFA Club World Cup. "Miami's had a schedule that is unlike any other team," Garber said. "Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn't. So we have to manage through that as a league." Messi and Alba's participation in the game had been under a cloud after Miami coach Javier Mascherano indicated last weekend he would have preferred the duo to be excused from All-Star duties. "The players are called up. I'd prefer they rest, but it's not my decision," Mascherano said. rcw/nf
