Messi and De Paul to skip MLS All-Star Game under new rest rule; four replacements called up

Confirmed absence

MLS released an official statement on Saturday confirming that Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will not feature in the 2026 All-Star Game. The league explicitly excused both Inter Miami players.

“Under the agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 All-Star Game.”

No controversy accompanied the decision, a contrast to one year earlier when Messi and then-Inter Miami defender Jordi Alba were suspended for one match after missing the previous edition.

Who else is out

Also withdrawn from the mid-season showcase are Belgian forward Hugo Cuypers and South Africa international Mbekezeli Mbokazi. Cuypers recently left Chicago Fire for Mexican side CF Monterrey; Mbokazi is sidelined with an injury he sustained after playing at the World Cup. Messi and De Paul returned to Argentina following the tournament and have missed recent league fixtures, including a match against Chicago Fire in which Robert Lewandowski made his MLS debut as well as Saturday's meeting with CF Montreal. Inter Miami have not yet announced a return date.

The replacement quartet

MLS filled the four vacated spots with Yannick Bright of Inter Miami, Paraguayan midfielder Andres Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps), Brazilian Guilherme of Houston Dynamo, and Danish forward Philip Zinckernagel of Chicago Fire. Bright becomes the sole Inter Miami representative in the revised squad.

Format and next steps

Wednesday's match in Charlotte continues the cross-league format that pits the top MLS performers against a selection of stars from Mexico's Liga MX. The pre-season agreement cited by the league permits World Cup participants to negotiate rest periods and a gradual return with their clubs, a provision that directly covers Messi, De Paul and Mbokazi. Cuypers' exit is treated as a permanent roster change. No further All-Star adjustments have been announced.