Both world champion Lionel Messi and his teammate Jordi Alba have canceled the annual MLS All-Star Game and now face penalties.
Loan plus option to buy: Barcelona signs Rashford
It had been in the works for the past few weeks: After his loan spell at Aston Villa in the second half of last season, Marcus Rashford is leaving Manchester United again – but the Englishman’s new employer, FC Barcelona, is a step up.
Hansi Flick can look forward to further reinforcements for the already versatile Catalan offense next season: In addition to Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Co., another prominent name in European soccer will now be playing for FCB—Marcus Rashford.
As Manchester United and FC Barcelona announced on Wednesday, the 27-year-old is joining the Catalans on loan. Barcelona then has an option to buy. Rashford was already on loan last season, playing for Aston Villa. With Barcelona, the striker is now back at one of the top clubs in European football, for which he is said to have accepted a significant pay cut, according to media reports.
Barcelona will pay his entire salary.The reigning Spanish champions have secured one of the most experienced players in English football: Rashford has made 297 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 89 goals and providing 52 assists. He has been with the Red Devils since 2005 and came through all the youth teams in Manchester.
Ten points for Aston Villa
Even when Rashford wore a different jersey for the first time in his professional career last season, he impressed at his loan club: in 17 appearances, he contributed ten points (four goals, six assists) for Aston Villa.
In addition to national titles, Barcelona’s clear goal for the coming season is likely to be the Champions League title – and Rashford could prove valuable in this competition as well. The striker has already made 37 appearances in the Champions League, with an impressive tally of twelve goals and seven assists.
Lionel Messi will not be playing in the annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game against a select team from the Mexican Liga MX. The league confirmed to US TV channel ESPN that not only will the Argentine miss the game, but his teammate Jordi Alba will also not be on the field. Both had been voted into the squad by fans and the media – and now face a one-match ban.
High sporting demands
The trigger for this is probably the reason for the cancellation: according to MLS regulations, a medical reason must be given for a cancellation, which is hardly the case for Messi and Alba. It seems more likely that this is simply a precautionary measure by coach Javier Mascherano, who had already spoken out in favor of giving the superstars a break.
This is not unfounded, as a glance at Lionel Messi’s playing time alone shows: The 2022 World Cup winner has played five games in 15 days (scoring eight goals) since the Club World Cup. The match against Sergio Ramos’ Mexican national team, which takes place at 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, would add another game to that schedule, with the next regular league match against FC Cincinnati already scheduled for Saturday.
However, before a final decision is made on a suspension, both parties, the league and representatives of Inter Miami, want to discuss the matter.
