Miami: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC teammate Rodrigo De Paul will not play in the MLS club's next two games, ESPN reported on Monday. Both Messi and De Paul played in all eight matches for Argentina in the World Cup. Messi started all eight contests and played all 120 minutes in Sunday's 1-0 loss to Spain in the final.
Also according to the report, both players, who were selected to the MLS All- Star Game on July 29, will not compete in the contest against the Liga MX All- Stars.
Messi skipped the 2025 MLS All-Star Game without league approval and was suspended for Inter Miami's next regular-season match. Miami has informed the league that Messi will miss this year's game, per ESPN.
FIFPRO, the global representative organisation for pro soccer players, has recommended a 21-day rest period at the end of each season for health reasons.
In 2025, Fifa and FIFPRO agreed to a 72-hour rest period between matches for the World Cup.
Messi and De Paul will not play against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday and CF Montreal on Saturday.
Miami plays at home against Columbus on August 1, then competes in the Leagues Cup from Aug. 5-12 before returning to MLS action on Aug. 15. Barring injury, the two players would miss three MLS games that fall within the 21-day window.
Messi scored eight goals and added four assists in the World Cup, finishing second to France's Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race. Inter Miami sit in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with a 9-2-4 record, five points behind first-place Nashville SC. — Reuters
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