Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami FC teammate Rodrigo De Paul will be sidelined for the club’s next two Major League Soccer (MLS) matches, according to ESPN. Both players participated fully in Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, which concluded on Sunday with a 1-0 loss to Spain. Messi played every minute of Argentina’s eight World Cup games, while De Paul also featured in all matches.
In addition to missing the upcoming MLS games, neither Messi nor De Paul will take part in the MLS All-Star Game scheduled for July 29 against the Liga MX All-Stars. Messi, who was selected for the All-Star roster, had previously missed the 2025 edition of the event without league approval, leading to a suspension for Inter Miami’s subsequent regular-season match. The club has informed MLS that Messi will not participate in this year’s All-Star Game.
Health considerations have influenced these decisions, with FIFPRO, the global organization representing professional soccer players, recommending a 21-day rest period at the end of each season to support athlete well-being. In a related development, FIFA and FIFPRO agreed to a mandatory 72-hour rest period between matches during the World Cup to mitigate player fatigue.
Inter Miami will face Chicago Fire on Wednesday and CF Montreal on Saturday without Messi and De Paul. Following these fixtures, Miami is scheduled to host Columbus on August 1 before competing in the Leagues Cup from August 5 to August 12. The two players are expected to miss three MLS matches within the recommended 21-day recovery window, assuming they remain healthy.
During the World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and contributed four assists, finishing second in the Golden Boot race behind France’s Kylian Mbappe. Inter Miami currently holds second place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with a 9-2-4 record, trailing first-place Nashville SC by five points.