Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami, has been ruled out of Argentina’s squad for the upcoming international fixtures this March due to discomfort in the adductor muscle of his left leg.
Just hours after scoring in Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United, it was confirmed that Messi (37) would not be traveling with the Argentine team for their World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay (Saturday, 22nd, 00:30) and Brazil (Wednesday, 26th, 1:00).
The Rosario-born player finished Inter Miami’s last match with discomfort in his left adductor, preventing him from joining the national team for crucial matches against two former South American World Cup champions.
Messi’s absence adds to the list of injured players, including Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Montiel, and Giovanni Lo Celso, who were all initially part of the preliminary squad but have been left out. Lo Celso, from Real Betis, has been sidelined for approximately a month due to muscle issues.
Argentina’s Squad for the Qualifiers
Despite these absences, Argentina’s 26-man squad still includes key players such as Rodrigo De Paul, Julián Álvarez, Nahuel Molina, Ángel Correa, and Giuliano Simeone. The Atlético Madrid players will be among the last to join the squad after their recent 2-4 loss to FC Barcelona on March 16.
Here is the full list of players called up by Lionel Scaloni for the matches against Uruguay in Montevideo and Brazil at River Plate’s Monumental stadium:
- Goalkeepers:
- Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
- Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille)
- Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven)
- Defenders:
- Nahuel Molina (Atlético de Madrid)
- Juan Foyth (Villarreal)
- Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Germán Pezzella (River Plate)
- Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
- Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique de Lyon)
- Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille)
- Facundo Medina (Racing Club de Lens)
- Midfielders:
- Rodrigo De Paul (Atlético de Madrid)
- Exequiel Palacios (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
- Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
- Máximo Perrone (Como 1907)
- Thiago Almada (Olympique de Lyon)
- Nicolás Paz (Como 1907)
- Leandro Paredes (AS Roma)
- Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
- Forwards:
- Julián Álvarez (Atlético de Madrid)
- Ángel Correa (Atlético de Madrid)
- Nicolás González (Juventus)
- Lautaro Martínez (Inter de Milan)
- Santiago Castro (Bologna FC)
- Giuliano Simeone (Atlético de Madrid)
- Benjamín Domínguez (Bologna FC)
Despite missing some key players, Argentina remains a strong contender for these crucial World Cup qualifiers. Fans will be eager to see how the team performs without their captain, Messi, in these highly anticipated matches.