MLS All-Star coach hopeful missing Messi plays

The 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin, Texas, was supposed to be the first featuring Lionel Messi after injury kept him out of the 2024 event.

That appeared less likely following Monday's first training session, when Messi and his Inter Miami CF teammate Jordi Alba were absent as the MLS squad prepared for Wednesday night's game against a team of All-Stars from Mexico's Liga MX.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there had been no official communication that the duo wouldn't be participating. While Messi has dealt with health issues at times during his two-year MLS tenure, he has played every single minute of Miami's last 19 games across all competitions.

If he or Alba missed the game without a credible injury reason, they would be subject to a one-match suspension for Miami's weekend home clash with FC Cincinnati.

"Leo is more a question for the league, for his club," Austin FC and MLS All-Star manager Nico Estevez said Monday in Spanish. "I simply coach and direct the players that they give me. And I think that's more a question for them. And I hope so. Because having the best player in history is something very important for everyone. But I hope so. I'm always very optimistic with everything. And why not? I hope that he can be here."

The All-Star concept is foreign to most of the soccer world beyond North America, and 14 members of the 30-player MLS squad are from outside the United States, Canada and Mexico.

But that hasn't stopped most of the squad from enjoying the recognition, including Nashville SC striker and Englishman Sam Surridge, who enters the exhibition tied with Lionel Messi for the league lead of 18 goals.

"Yeah, it is very unique," Surridge said. "You get to play with some really good players. Training [Monday] was brilliant, getting to know some of the lads, a few familiar faces but also getting to know people I don't know. And it's good because everyone comes together this week. And then yeah, it's back to business I'd say on the weekend."

Wednesday will mark the league's 29th All-Star Game as MLS celebrates its 30th season (there was no All-Star event in 2020), and the fourth time it has been played in this format.

The MLS has won two of the previous three meetings against its border rival league, though Liga MX's team earned a 4-1 victory in last year's edition.

Juan Brunetta of Tigres UANL will be back this year after scoring a goal and winning game MVP honors for the Liga MX All-Stars in 2024.