Lionel Messi has been left out of Argentina’s squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil after reportedly sustaining an injury during a club match.
The 37-year-old forward recently missed three games for Inter Miami due to a muscle strain but returned to score in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match. He then played the full 90 minutes and scored in an MLS game against Atlanta, but Argentine media reported he later experienced muscle discomfort.
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, currently lead the South American qualifying group by five points. They face Uruguay in Montevideo on Friday before hosting Brazil in Buenos Aires on March 25.
The top six teams in the group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. After 12 rounds, Messi is the competition’s top scorer with six goals.
Argentina will also be without injured Roma forward Paulo Dybala and River Plate full-back Paulo Montiel. Brazil, currently fifth in the standings, will miss Neymar, who remains sidelined with a thigh injury.
Argentina Squad
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).
