Forty MLS players including Lionel Messi will be absent from their teams during the Copa America.
Inter Miami forwards Luis Suarez, left, and Lionel Messi talk as they arrive for the team's MLS soccer match against St. Louis City, Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Thirty-nine players from Major League Soccer, and one from MLS NEXT Pro, were called up by their national teams in the run-up to the tournament. The players come from 21 of the league’s 29 teams. The tournament is adding to an already congested schedule for many MLS players. In addition to the Copa America, the European Championship and the Olympics, there’s the Leagues Cup, which involves club teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX and will take place from July 26 to Aug. 25.
It remains to be seen if MLS takes an attendance or viewership hit because of absent players — or simply because there’s just so much soccer to consume. Apple TV broadcasts MLS games, while FOX Sports will air many Copa America and European Championship matches across its channels in the United States.
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