- Messi out of Argentina’s qualifiers squad due to injury
- Argentina aims for World Cup spot
- Dybala, Montiel, and Neymar also sidelined
Lionel Messi, forward for Inter Miami, has been excluded from Argentina’s squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
The 37-year-old recently returned to Miami’s starting lineup for their MLS win over Atlanta United but reportedly sustained an injury during the match on Sunday.
Inter Miami later confirmed that Messi is dealing with a “low-grade” injury to his adductor muscle.
Before the injury, Messi had been rested for three games with Miami and came off the bench to score in their Concacaf Champions Cup victory over Jamaican side Cavalier last week.
Argentina can secure qualification for next year’s World Cup during this round of qualifiers, with matches against Uruguay and Brazil. They currently lead South America’s 10-team qualification group by five points over Uruguay, with six games remaining. Brazil sits seven points behind in fifth place.
The top six teams will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the seventh-place team will enter a playoff.
Messi, who has scored six goals in 12 qualifying rounds, remains Argentina’s top scorer with 112 goals from 191 international appearances.
In addition to Messi, Argentina will also be without injured Roma striker Paulo Dybala and River Plate full-back Gonzalo Montiel.
Brazil, meanwhile, will be missing Neymar due to a thigh injury, preventing the 33-year-old Santos forward from returning to the national team.
