Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba have each received a one-match suspension for missing the Major League Soccer All-Star game earlier this week.
The duo was absent from Wednesday’s event in Austin, Texas, where the MLS team secured a 3-1 victory over the Liga MX All-Stars.
“Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club’s next match,” MLS said in a statement on Friday.
As a result, the duo will now miss Miami’s home league fixture against FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
Argentina legend Messi, 38, has scored 18 goals in as many appearances for Javier Mascherano’s side in the MLS this season, while Alba, 36, has featured 19 times in the league.
The duo were also part of the Miami side’s run to the quarter-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup.