Messi to Miss World Cup Qualifiers Due to Injury
Argentina’s football icon, Lionel Messi, is set to be unavailable for the upcoming South American World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay and Brazil due to a reported muscular injury. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed that the star player is not part of the 25-man squad revealed by coach Lionel Scaloni on Monday.
Details of the Injury
Messi, aged 37, is said to have sustained a sore left thigh during Inter Miami’s recent 2-1 victory over Atlanta United in Major League Soccer. Although Argentine media have reported on this incident, the AFA has not provided official reasons for Messi’s absence from the upcoming matches.
Argentina’s Upcoming Matches
The Argentine national team currently leads the World Cup qualifying standings with 25 points and is set to play:
- vs. Uruguay – Away on Friday
- vs. Brazil – Home at Monumental Stadium on the following Tuesday
Additional Absentees and Squad Changes
Messi’s absence is compounded by the exclusion of several other key players, including Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Montiel, and Giovani Lo Celso, who are also sidelined. Furthermore, coach Scaloni has made strategic decisions in his squad selection by dropping young talents Alejandro Garnacho and Claudio Echeverri from the larger roster announced earlier this month.
Concerns Over Player Fitness
Since the beginning of the season, Messi has faced multiple absences due to injury risks, according to Inter Miami’s coach Javier Mascherano. Earlier this month, Messi did not participate in matches against various teams such as the Houston Dynamo and Cavalier SC, though he made a notable return in a significant CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Cavalier.
During the game against Atlanta, Messi managed to score, demonstrating his fitness before the injury was reported to have occurred shortly after his goal in the 20th minute.
