'Hope It Doesn't Have Long-Term Impact': Inter Miami Co-Owner Reveals Messi 'Upset' With Suspension

Last Updated:July 26, 2025, 09:15 IST

Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba were handed a one-game suspension and will sit out Miami's game against FC Cincinnati on Sunday due to the duo missing the All-Star game.

Lionel Messi (Picture credit: AP)

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas revealed that MLS’s decision to suspend superstar Lionel Messi and teammate Jordi Alba for a game due to their absence from the All-Star fixture has upset the Argentine superstar.

Messi and Alba were handed a one-game suspension and will sit out Miami’s game against FC Cincinnati on Sunday due to the duo missing the All-Star game.

“Leo Messi is very upset. I hope it doesn’t have a long-term impact," Mas said following the league’s decision to slap the one-game suspension.

Mas, who seeks to extend Messi’s stay on American soil beyond the conclusion of his current contract, set to run out by the end of the year, hoped that the decision does not have a lasting impact on the World Cup-winner’s perception of the league.

“Will it have an impact on Messi’s perception of the league and it’s rules? Without a doubt," Mas continued..

“Lionel is different from everyone else. He wants to participate in competitive matches," he added highlighting Messi’s elite status.

Messi featured in 9 games in a 35-day, including four games in the FIFA Club World Cup, and played the full 90 minutes in each run out he had.

MLS commissioner Don Garber acknowledged that Inter Miami’s schedule was unlike any other side in the league due to their participation in the revamped edition of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

“Miami has 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," he added.

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano opined that he’d prefer for the players to get a bit of rest amid the pacey schedule, but added that the decision was out of his hands.

“The players are called up. I’d prefer they rest, but it’s not my decision," Mascherano said.

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