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Major League Soccer (MLS) have confirmed that Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba will be suspended for Inter Miami's game against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. The league has enforced its rule on the duo after they skipped the MLS All-Star clash against Liga MX All-Stars on Wednesday despite getting called up.
MLS stated that any player who skips the All-Star game without prior approval from the league will have to sit out the next league game for their respective club. Since Messi and Alba were not injured, they are now suspended for the FC Cincinnati clash on Saturday, July 26. The statement from MLS, carried out by ESPN read:
"Inter Miami CF's Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi will be unavailable for the club's match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday, July 26, due to their absence at this week's Major League Soccer All-Star Game. 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."
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Fans were left stunned that MLS took the call to suspend Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba, and were quick to voice their opinion on social media.
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"Lol they are not serious"
"wtf 😂😂 dumb rule. People will defo be mad about this at least I don’t need to stay up and watch inter Miami," wrote a fan who could not believe the news.
"Suspend someone for refusing to juggle a football like he's in a circus 🎪 is crazy." tweeted another as the All-Star game is not a part of the regular season.
Most fans were talking about the fact that Messi would be a major miss for Inter Miami. However, one was quick to note how much of a loss this could be for the league, too. They posted:
"No ticket sale for mls then"
"Shame on this league," wrote another soon after the announcement.
Some Messi fans were frustrated with the decision and urged him to leave Inter Miami. One posted:
"Leave asap Leo"
Javier Mascherano insisted that Lionel Messi was suffering from normal fatigue and needed rest during the week. The Inter Miami manager added that Jordi Alba had picked up a knock in the win over New York Red Bulls on July 19.
Javier Mascherano was hoping to use Lionel Messi against FC Cincinnati
Javier Mascherano spoke to the media ahead of the FC Cincinnati clash and revealed that Lionel Messi was returning to training on Friday, July 25. He was in his press conference ahead of the game and said:
“He showed normal fatigue from the number of matches and minutes he’s been playing. Players always have discomfort, especially when playing every three days. Fortunately, today he’ll rejoin training, and we hope he can train alongside the group so we can count on both of them for tomorrow’s match.”
Inter Miami are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference table with 41 points from their 21 matches. They have three matches in hand, and are currently seven points adrift of the leaders, FC Cincinnati, whom they face this weekend.
