FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami will be without two of their biggest stars, Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba, for Saturday’s crucial matchup against FC Cincinnati.
The suspension comes after both players missed this week’s MLS All-Star Game without prior league approval.
According to MLS league rules, any player selected for the All-Star Game who doesn’t participate — unless excused for medical reasons—must sit out their team’s next match.
Despite having hope that the two might still play, MLS officially confirmed Friday that both will be unavailable.
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano hinted that Alba picked up an injury during Miami’s July 19 game against the New York Red Bulls, while Messi was reportedly dealing with fatigue.
Still, neither absence was cleared in advance by the league, resulting in the mandatory one-game suspension.
Both Messi and Alba returned to practice on Friday, and while Mascherano said there was a chance they could feature against Cincinnati depending on their physical condition, MLS’s ruling now makes that impossible.
Messi, 38, remains the face of MLS and has continued his strong form with 24 goals in 29 appearances so far this year.
The absence of both players is a major blow for Inter Miami (12-5-4), who are in the thick of the playoff race and facing Cincinnati, (15-3-6) who is the top seed in the league’s Eastern Conference.
Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas supported both players and admired their “team first” decision to sit out of the All-Star Game.
Inter Miami is scheduled to take the pitch vs. Cincinnati at 7:15 p.m. from Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
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