Lionel Messi has been sensational throughout the 2025 Major League Soccer season, with 18 goals in 18 games through the midway point of the campaign.
As the league leader in goals, it's no surprise that the Argentine legend was once again selected to participate in the MLS All Star game, set to be played on Wednesday, July 23 in Austin, Texas.
As a top draw for the league every single matchday, Messi would be a premium attraction for fans attending the game. However, there are questions about whether Messi will be at the event, as his absence would present a huge embarrassment for the league.
The Sporting News brings you the latest information on Messi's potential presence or absence, and what would be the result if he decides to skip the game.
MORE: Why is Lionel Messi skipping the 2025 MLS All Star game?
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2025 MLS All Star game?
Lionel Messi will not participate in the 2025 MLS All Star game. Major League Soccer released its roster for the match against the Liga MX All Stars, and Messi was not listed. Also absent is Messi's club teammate Jordi Alba, who will not participate in the game either.
It's an absolutely seismic blow to the league that its biggest, most visible, and top scoring superstar will not be participating in its mid-season showcase event meant to put its top performing and most popular players on display.
The first red flag that Messi may not participate was his absence from training with the rest of the MLS All Star squad on Tuesday, the day before the match, as was Messi's Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba. Normally, when a player misses pre-match training one day before the game, it's a surefire indicator that they will not participate in the upcoming match.
Following training, fellow all-star participant Diego Luna seemed to indicate that Messi and Alba will both join the squad for the game itself. However, that did not ultimately come to pass.
#RSL #MLS All-Star Diego Luna was asked if he's surprised he's not been able to train with Messi and Alba yet.
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) July 22, 2025
“Am I surprised? Maybe a little because they were on the roster. They’ve got their own individual things going on. The cool thing is they get here tomorrow." pic.twitter.com/lHUHvFevaI
MORE: All the latest MLS news | All the latest Messi news
Will Messi be suspended for missing the 2025 MLS All Star game?
According to MLS regulations, any player named to the MLS All Star team who opts not to participate in the match is required to sit out his club's next game. Thus, as it stands, Mess is suspended for Inter Miami's next match, which comes on Saturday, July 26 at home against FC Cincinnati.
The rule, while not officially a suspension, essentially acts as punishment for players who want to pass on participating in the league's mid-season showcase.
However, there is a potential out for both he and teammate Jordi Alba. If a player has a medical excuse for being absent, such as an injury, the player is allowed to miss the game without retribution.
Thus, if MLS declares that Messi or Alba's absence is down to fitness concerns, he could still theoretically play for Inter Miami on the weekend.
The optics of that, however, would be dire. Messi sitting out the All Star game only to play for his club three days later would render any claims of a fitness issue difficult for fans to take seriously, and could indicate a willingness by Major League Soccer to allow Messi to bend the league's rules at his will.
Javier Mascherano says Messi should 'rest' for MLS All Star game
Inter Miami head coach made his stance clear on whether Lionel Messi should play in the 2025 MLS All Star game, and it's not a terribly surprising opinion.
“I’d like him to rest,” the Inter Miami head coach said in a press conference prior to the All Star game. "I know how important the All Star Game is, but as far as I know, the club hasn’t made any formal decision."
It's not shocking that Messi's club coach would prefer his star player to miss an exhibition game, preferring to keep his injury-prone goal scoring whiz healthy. At the end of the day, however, Mascherano has little say in how this eventually plays out.