Fans hoping to watch Leo Messi finally at an All-Star game were left disappointed as the Inter Miami star, as well as his former Barça teammate Jordi Alba missed the match last Wednesday. Despite being fit to play (they were injured last year) and included in the squad, neither showed up. And, as a result, they have been punished.
Both players have been given a one-match ban, as MLS rules state that "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".
Jorge Mas, Inter Miami owner, said that the Argentinian star is "very upset, extremely upset, as expected. The rule is what it is, but they don't understand it. I think that the punishment for the rule is frankly draconian" (via BBC).
Mas defended their players, saying their reaction "was exactly as expected out of two competitive players who don't understand the decision, who don't understand why not attending an exhibition match leads directly to a suspension."