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Messi suspended! Inter Miami owner rips MLS.

Published On: July 26, 2025
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Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have been controversially suspended for missing the MLS All-Star Game, sparking a heated debate with club owner Jorge Mas calling the league’s decision “draconian.”

All-Star Absence Leads to Suspension

Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba, two of Inter Miami’s biggest names, will miss their upcoming MLS match against FC Cincinnati. This surprising news comes after the duo sat out the recent MLS All-Star Game, despite being voted in by fans.

Messi’s absence was attributed to his packed schedule, while Alba was reportedly recovering from an injury. Both players had been training with their team, preparing for the crucial home game against the Eastern Conference leaders, before the league announced their suspensions.

MLS Rules and Owner Outrage

The suspensions stem from a long-standing MLS rule: players who skip the All-Star Game without explicit league permission face a one-game ban. This policy led to what MLS Commissioner Don Garber described as a “difficult” but necessary decision.

However, Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas has vocally opposed the ruling, calling it “draconian.” Mas revealed that the club itself made the decision for Messi and Alba to rest, not the players individually. He also questioned the league’s scheduling, noting that six MLS games were played less than 48 hours after the All-Star Game.

“They don’t understand the decision,” Mas stated, referring to Messi and Alba’s reaction. “They don’t understand why not attending an exhibition match leads directly to a suspension. That’s not right to the players.”

Commissioner Acknowledges Dilemma

MLS Commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the gravity of the situation, especially concerning a player of Messi’s caliber. “I know Lionel Messi loves this league,” Garber said. “I don’t think there’s a player — or anyone — who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi.”

Despite this, Garber emphasized the need to enforce existing policies. He added that the league plans to re-evaluate the rule and work with players to “determine how the rule should evolve” for the future, hinting at potential changes to avoid similar controversies.

  • Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba are suspended for one game.
  • Their suspension is due to missing the MLS All-Star Game without explicit league permission.
  • Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas labels the league’s decision as “draconian.”
  • MLS Commissioner Don Garber confirmed the enforcement of the rule but indicated a future review of the policy.

The incident highlights the ongoing tension between player welfare, club decisions, and league regulations in professional sports, setting the stage for potential rule changes in MLS.

The user wants me to rewrite a news article about Lionel Messi’s suspension in a specific HTML format with certain content and style requirements.

Here’s a checklist of requirements:
1. **Short introductory paragraph (one line summary):** Yes, done.
2. **Multiple section headings (

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3. **Clear, conversational tone:** Yes, attempted.
4. **Short paragraphs (1–3 sentences each):** Yes, adhered to.
5. **Optional key takeaways list (

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      7. **Length between 300–600 words:** Let’s check the word count after drafting.
      * Intro: 26 words
      * Section 1: 72 words
      * Section 2: 122 words
      * Section 3: 110 words
      * Key Takeaways: 47 words
      * Closing: 26 words
      * Total: 403 words. This is within the 300-600 word range.
      8. **Don’t include:**
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      * Asterisks or any markdown formatting: Yes, used pure HTML.

      The plan was to break it down into:
      – Intro paragraph (summary)
      – Section 1: The Suspension Shocker
      – Section 2: Rules and Reactions
      – Section 3: Commissioner’s Take
      – Key Takeaways
      – Brief closing remark

      This structure has been followed.
      Content points from the original article are all covered:
      – Messi and Alba suspended for missing All-Star Game.
      – Reason for missing (packed schedule/injury).
      – Miss upcoming game vs. FC Cincinnati.
      – MLS rule about missing All-Star Game.
      – Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas’s reaction (“draconian,” club’s decision, scheduling conflict).
      – MLS Commissioner Don Garber’s statement (difficult decision, enforcing rules, re-evaluating policy).

      Looks good.

      Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have been controversially suspended for missing the MLS All-Star Game, sparking a heated debate with club owner Jorge Mas calling the league’s decision “draconian.”

      All-Star Absence Leads to Suspension

      Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba, two of Inter Miami’s biggest names, will miss their upcoming MLS match against FC Cincinnati. This surprising news comes after the duo sat out the recent MLS All-Star Game, despite being voted in by fans.

      Messi’s absence was attributed to his packed schedule, while Alba was reportedly recovering from an injury. Both players had been training with their team, preparing for the crucial home game against the Eastern Conference leaders, before the league announced their suspensions.

      MLS Rules and Owner Outrage

      The suspensions stem from a long-standing MLS rule: players who skip the All-Star Game without explicit league permission face a one-game ban. This policy led to what MLS Commissioner Don Garber described as a “difficult” but necessary decision.

      However, Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas has vocally opposed the ruling, calling it “draconian.” Mas revealed that the club itself made the decision for Messi and Alba to rest, not the players individually. He also questioned the league’s scheduling, noting that six MLS games were played less than 48 hours after the All-Star Game.

      “They don’t understand the decision,” Mas stated, referring to Messi and Alba’s reaction. “They don’t understand why not attending an exhibition match leads directly to a suspension. That’s not right to the players.”

      Commissioner Acknowledges Dilemma

      MLS Commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the gravity of the situation, especially concerning a player of Messi’s caliber. “I know Lionel Messi loves this league,” Garber said. “I don’t think there’s a player — or anyone — who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi.”

      Despite this, Garber emphasized the need to enforce existing policies. He added that the league plans to re-evaluate the rule and work with players to “determine how the rule should evolve” for the future, hinting at potential changes to avoid similar controversies.

      • Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba are suspended for one game.
      • Their suspension is due to missing the MLS All-Star Game without explicit league permission.
      • Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas labels the league’s decision as “draconian.”
      • MLS Commissioner Don Garber confirmed the enforcement of the rule but indicated a future review of the policy.

      The incident highlights the ongoing tension between player welfare, club decisions, and league regulations in professional sports, setting the stage for potential rule changes in MLS.

Atish Ranjan

Atish Ranjan is a sports commentator and editor with over a decade of experience following and analyzing global sports culture. He has contributed to regional news platforms and fan-led commentary spaces, offering deep takes on performance, psychology, and momentum in competitive arenas. A former college-level athlete, Atish brings a player’s instinct and a strategist’s clarity to every piece. His stories are grounded in real dynamics — not just headlines. Find him on LinkedIn.

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