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Lionel Messi will not participate in the 2026 MLS All-Star game, with the 39-year-old football icon choosing to sit out the exhibition match for the third consecutive year. Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul has also been dropped from the roster after both players represented Argentina during their journey to the 2026 World Cup final last week.
Four replacement players were announced on Saturday, as Hugo Cuypers and Mbekezeli Mbokazi will also be missing from the event. Cuypers, who had been co-leading the MLS Golden Boot race earlier this season, is no longer in the league after Chicago Fire transferred him to Liga MX club CF Monterrey following the arrival of star striker Robert Lewandowski. Mbokazi is sidelined with a lower body injury. U.S. men's national team midfielder Sebastian Berhalter is also expected to be unavailable, as he is strongly linked with an upcoming move to English Championship club Middlesbrough from Vancouver Whitecaps.
MLS confirmed the four official substitutions less than a week before Wednesday's scheduled fixture against the Liga MX All-Stars in Charlotte. While Cuypers will miss the game due to his transfer, Messi, De Paul, and Mbokazi's absences stem from World Cup fatigue and recovery needs.
Last year, Messi and teammate Jordi Alba officially withdrew from the 2025 MLS All-Star game on match day, prompting MLS to hand both players a one-game suspension, as neither had a documented injury. Messi had previously missed the 2024 showcase after suffering an ankle injury during the Copa América final earlier that month.
Messi and De Paul will face no disciplinary action for skipping the All-Star game given the short turnaround following the World Cup. "Prior to the start of the 2026 season, Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Association agreed that upon a player's exit from the World Cup competition, clubs would have individual conversations with each player to determine the appropriate rest and return to training and competition timeline. Consistent with that agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game," MLS stated in its official announcement.
Who Are the MLS All-Star Roster Replacements?
With Messi and De Paul unavailable, MLS has selected fellow Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright as one of the four replacements, bringing in a key figure from the Herons' squad and one of the standout picks from the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
This season, Bright has recorded two assists in 12 appearances and has stepped up to fill the midfield gap created by Sergio Busquets's retirement after the 2025 campaign. Ahead of the 2026 season, he also secured a contract extension with the Herons running through 2028, with an option for one additional year.
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andrés Cubas has also been added to the squad, following an impressive showing in Paraguay's run to the World Cup round of 16 against France, which included a notable upset of Germany in the round of 32. Cubas topped all players in defensive contributions at the tournament, recording 52 in Paraguay's midfield, ahead of England's Elliot Anderson (47) and Spain's Rodri, who tallied 42 on the way to winning the title and the Golden Ball.
Chicago also receives a new addition to the festivities, with forward Philip Zinckernagel named to the roster in place of Cuypers, having contributed five goals and seven assists in 15 matches this season. Meanwhile, Houston Dynamo FC forward Guilherme also earns a spot, currently among the frontrunners for the 2026 MLS Newcomer of the Year Award.
Final 2026 MLS All-Star Game Roster
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
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