Lionel Messi has been named to the MLS All-Star Game roster for the third consecutive year, joining a loaded selection that includes USMNT veterans Tim Ream and Seb Berhalter — a roster construction that signals the league's dual ambition: global spectacle and domestic credibility.
The full squad, announced by MLS, also features Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, Portland's Evander, and international guest Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur. Thomas Müller, the Bayern Munich and German national team legend, rounds out the marquee international names — a collection that reflects how aggressively the league has pursued star power in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup on American soil.
Messi's inclusion is expected at this point, but the question hanging over the announcement is the same one it always is: will he actually play? The Argentine's participation in All-Star festivities has been inconsistent due to fitness management, and Inter Miami's coaching staff has shown little hesitation in protecting him when competitive matches loom. With the Eastern Conference playoff race intensifying through the second half of the MLS season, the calculus around his availability only grows more complicated.
Ream's selection carries a different kind of weight. The veteran centerback, long a fixture of the USMNT backline, has been one of the steadiest defenders in the league and his inclusion is a nod to genuine performance rather than celebrity. At 37, Ream continues to demonstrate that elite defensive reading of the game doesn't expire on a schedule — and his presence gives the All-Star roster some spine beyond the glamour selections.
Berhalter — son of former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter — has carved out his own identity at the club level, and his roster spot reflects a midfield profile that MLS coaches have rewarded with votes. His selection will draw scrutiny from those who see the name and assume nepotism, but the midfielder has produced at a level that makes the argument against him harder than it looks.
The De Paul-Messi pairing on the same All-Star roster is a footnote worth examining: the two Argentine World Cup winners have developed a genuine on-field partnership at Inter Miami that has made the club's attack considerably harder to disrupt. Whether that chemistry translates to meaningful playoff advancement remains the most important question surrounding Miami's season.
With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away and MLS stadiums set to host group stage matches, the league clearly views the All-Star Game as a promotional vehicle — and with Messi, Son and Müller on the sheet, it has the names to sell it. Whether the game itself delivers is a separate matter entirely.