Argentina captain Lionel Messi will sit out the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil after being left out of the national squad due to a reported injury sustained in club action.
The 37-year-old forward, who plays for Inter Miami, had recently returned from a muscle injury and scored twice in consecutive matches, including a full 90-minute performance in Major League Soccer (MLS) against Atlanta United on Sunday. However, Argentine media reported that Messi experienced muscle discomfort following that game, prompting his omission from the squad.
His absence comes at a critical time as Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, look to secure early qualification for the 2026 tournament, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. They currently lead the South American qualifying group by five points, with matches against second-placed Uruguay in Montevideo on Friday and arch-rivals Brazil in Buenos Aires on March 25.
In addition to Messi, Argentina will also be without injured Roma forward Paulo Dybala and River Plate defender Gonzalo Montiel. Meanwhile, Brazil will be missing their own superstar, Neymar, who is sidelined with a thigh injury.
Despite missing two games earlier in the qualifying campaign, Messi remains the tournament’s top scorer with six goals after 12 rounds. The top six teams in the South American group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the seventh-placed nation will compete in a playoff.
Argentina Squad for World Cup Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven)
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Facundo Medina (Lens), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), German Pezzella (River Plate)
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Maximo Perrone (Como), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Benjamin Dominguez (Bologna), Thiago Almada (Lyon)
Forwards: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Nicolas Paz (Como), Santiago Castro (Bologna), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus)
