LOS ANGELES - ORGANISERS of an all-star football match say the exhibition featuring FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi and other international stars was unexpectedly cancelled by Fifa.

Patrick Lynch, general manager of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, said on Monday that Fifa prohibited him from staging the July 4 event after all arrangements had been made.

The game was originally set for July 5 at the Coliseum before being moved to July 4. The organisers waited until Monday to announce the cancellation.

A team of South American all-stars was to face a squad from the rest of the world.

Among those listed on the teams were Italy's Marco Materazzi and Mauro Camoranesi, France's Patrick Viera, Spain's Fernando Morrientes and the Netherlands' Edgar Davids.

Officials from Fifa or CONCACAF did not attend the news conference. -- AP