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USMNT Legend Scorches Lionel Messi Over Suspension Whining- 'Grow Up'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Saurabh Saket | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 1:29 PM ET

The drama surrounding Lionel Messi's suspension following his absence from the MLS All-Star game seems to have become a never-ending debate. Despite the team now moving on from the incident, experts continue to voice their opinion over the matter, with former USMNT legend Alexi Lalas now joining the fray.

While many, like Steve Nicol, have defended Messi for holding the right to decide the games he plays, Lalas had some harsh words for the Argentine ahead of his upcoming game.

Lalas slams Messi for All-Star absence

The former USMNT legend ripped into Lionel Messi on his latest State of the Union podcast. The former American international strongly argued against the sentiment that Messi was right in his reason to skip the game, claiming the Argentine should have negotiated a contract that said so if he didn't want to feature in the All-Star game.

Lalas stated, “We all have either been involved or grown up watching All-Star games and the phenomenon of the All-Star Game when it comes to multiple sports here. It's very normal for us… But I will say that the framing that is happening right now of Messi as some saint, waging some righteous fight against the perceived evils and ills of MLS and its structure, or even the very concept of an MLS All-Star game."

He then added, "That's a little rich, and that's a little ridiculous. He signed his contract. He knew that playing in the All-Star game was part of his contract. So he knew the rules. So, Messi, you need to grow up. You need to participate. And if you didn't want to play in the All-Star game, you had the leverage at the moment you were signing your contract, and you should have negotiated for that."

Lalas' opinion echoes that of multiple fans who were left dejected after the Argentine skipped the All-Star game. However, things turned sour following Major League Soccer's decision to impose a one-match ban on the player, with many experts feeling it was too harsh from the officials, considering how important the Argentine has been for the budding league.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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