Inter Miami Confirms Messi Will Miss Upcoming Matches Against Chicago and Montréal

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will take a break before returning to Inter Miami CF for the remainder of the MLS season, according to sources who spoke with ESPN on Monday.

Both players featured in Argentina’s 1-0 extra‑time loss to Spain in the World Cup final, with Messi playing the full 120 minutes and starting every one of Argentina’s eight matches in the tournament.

FIFPRO, the worldwide union for professional footballers, has advocated for a 21‑day rest period at the end of each season to protect player health. FIFA discussed the proposal with FIFPRO in 2025 and agreed that clubs should guarantee at least 72 hours between matches and provide a minimum three‑week holiday after the season, to be arranged individually with each player and in line with any collective agreements.

Sources say it is still uncertain whether Messi and De Paul will sit out the full 21 days, but they will definitely miss Inter Miami’s upcoming fixtures against Chicago Fire FC on Wednesday and CF Montréal on Saturday.

MLS has been informed that the duo will not be available for the MLS All‑Star game on July 29, which falls within that rest window; both had been selected to face the Liga MX All‑Stars.

Messi concluded the World Cup with eight goals and four assists, finishing second in the Golden Boot race behind Kylian Mbappé’s ten goals. He helped Argentina reach its second straight World Cup final, following the 2022 triumph.

In a Spanish‑language social‑media post on Monday, Messi wrote, “The pain is immense and it will take time for this wound to heal, but I also cherish all the good. The matches we turned around, giving our all, will forever remain in our memories, as will the support of an entire country that, together with the hard work of this group, brought us back among the world’s best.”

He continued, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again we united as a nation and shared the immense pride of being Argentine.”

“I also want to congratulate Spain on their victory,” he added.

Besides reaching 125 international goals this summer, Messi became the first player to start three World Cup finals, having done so in 2014 versus Germany and 2022 versus France.

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