An All-Star game is supposed to be the best players on the pitch going against each other. In the US, it is the MLS going against Liga MX. But this season’s All-Star Game is not looking good because players are dropping out. And Daniel Solana is not happy with how the MLS is handling this.
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“An All-Star game with no All-Stars. 11 Liga MX players have opted out of the All-Star game… And to make it sting a bit more, Messi’s never once played it since he got to MLS… You can’t parade soccer players around mid-season like it’s the NBA — football isn’t built that way,” wrote Solana after the news of the players dropping out.
The idea behind the MLS All-Star Game has always been simple enough. Bring together the league’s biggest names, create a different kind of spectacle, and give fans one memorable night during the season.
But with kickoff against Liga MX now just around the corner, that picture has started to change. Liga MX will be without 11 selected players, including Keylor Navas, Nahuel Guzmán, Gilberto Mora, and Brian Rodríguez.
And adding to that misery, MLS has also lost Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Hugo Cuypers, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi before kickoff.
That has now left many fans wondering if the All-Star Game still delivers what it has been promising for years.
The growing list of players that don’t want to play is not really about them avoiding the game. It is more of a scheduling problem that has followed the All-Star Game for several years.
Unlike most exhibition games, this game comes mid-season, when clubs are still chasing points. At the same time, many teams are also balancing domestic cup fixtures and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
That is exactly where MLS and Liga MX differ from leagues like the NBA.
The NBA schedules its All-Star Game during a planned midseason break when every team is on a break. Players can enjoy the event before returning to the competition without worrying about any important fixtures.
Soccer simply does not have that luxury because important games come almost every single week. So, the clubs have little reason to risk important players, especially for an exhibition with no impact on trophies.
Lionel Messi‘s absence perfectly explains why many clubs have taken this approach.
FIFA requires every player involved in the 2026 World Cup final to receive a mandatory 21-day recovery break. That rule has already kept the Inter Miami captain out of his club’s last two league matches. Liga MX teams have also decided the same by protecting their key players before the demanding domestic and continental fixtures continue.
Those decisions may disappoint the fans, but they also reflect the reality of how packed the MLS calendar is.
The fans might still get to watch MLS stars like Son Heung-min, Thomas Müller, and Evander, who are available for selection. But until soccer finds a proper window for this event, clubs will continue to protect their players and focus on the league.
