MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (Kashmir English): Lionel Messi was left out of the Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, as Argentina seek to seal world cup place.
The star player reportedly suffered a muscle injury in a club game the day before.
On Sunday, Messi scored a stunning goal in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win at Atlanta United in Major League Soccer but felt a muscle discomfort, according to local media.
As a result, the 37-year-old was dropped out of the Argentina squad, and will remain in the United States to recover.
Argentina squad for 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Goalkeepers
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven).
Defenders
Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Germán Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina, (Lens), Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon).
Midfielders
Leandro Paredes (Roma), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Máximo Perrone (Como), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Benjamín Domínguez (Bologna), Thiago Almada (Olympique Lyon).
Forwards
Nicolás González (Juventus), Nicolás Paz (Como), Claudio Echeverri (Manchester City), Julián Álvarez (Manchester City), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Santiago Castro (Bologna), Ángel Correa (Atletico Madrid).
The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the 23rd edition of the tournament but the first to feature 48 nations and three host countries: United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Next year’s tournament marks the first time that 48 teams will compete, an increase from the previous 32.
2026 FIFA World Cup matches will be played in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
It will be the first time that three countries jointly host a World Cup, and only the second time that more than one country has done so. (Japan and South Korea jointly hosted the 2002 World Cup.)
