Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith has admitted that Lionel Messi's participation in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game is uncertain since the Inter Miami captain continues his FIFA World Cup campaign with Argentina.
Smith, who will coach the MLS All-Star team this year, said international commitments comes first and suggested players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup will likely be given time to recover before returning to club duties.
"I think there'll be a standard cut-off period because they'll obviously want to get rested. We'll wait and see what happens with that," Smith said when asked about Messi and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul.
If Argentina reaches the FIFA World Cup final on July 19, Messi would have less than two weeks to recover before the MLS All-Star Game takes place on July 29 in Charlotte, making his availability far from certain. Nothing is done yet though, and Argentina has not reached the World Cup final.
Lionel Scaloni's men will first face an in-form England in the semifinal on July 15, with the winner advancing to the final on July 19.
With Messi and Rodrigo De Paul still representing Argentina in the World Cup, the Charlotte FC manager acknowledged that recovery time will likely take priority over the MLS All-Star festivities.
So Smith is already preparing for the possibility of coaching without the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner if Argentina's World Cup run extends to the final.
Lionel Messi Could Miss the MLS All-Star Game for a Third Straight Year
Since joining the MLS, Messi has yet to play in an MLS All-Star Game despite being selected in each of the last two editions.
He missed the 2024 event after suffering an ankle injury during the Copa América final. In 2025, he was unavailable again after opting to rest after a demanding schedule, a decision that resulted in an automatic one-match MLS suspension under the league's policy.
If Messi is unable to play in this year's All-Star Game, he could technically face another one-match suspension. However, with the 39-year-old coming off a potential FIFA World Cup final, MLS could decide to reconsider how the rule is applied given the extraordinary circumstances.
For now, Dean Smith says everyone will have to wait and see whether the Argentine superstar is available for the league's showcase event later this month.
