Argentina superstar Lionel Messi will miss their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to an adductor injury. The 37-year-old Lionel Messi was not included in Argentina’s 25-member squad announced on Monday by coach Lionel Scaloni.
Lionel Messi’s injury occurred during Inter Miami’s win over Atlanta United in the Major League Soccer (MLS) on Sunday. The MLS club later on Monday said that Lionel Messi underwent an MRI to “to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region.”
“The examination’s findings confirmed the presence of a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle,” Inter Miami further said. “His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition.”
Meanwhile, Argentine media initially reported Messi suffered a sore left thigh on Sunday during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory.
Argentina lead South American qualifying
Argentina, which lead the South America qualifiers, will visit second-placed Uruguay on Friday and before hosting fifth-placed Brazil four days later at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Lionel Messi was not the only absentee for the two matches that could seal Argentina’s qualification. Also ruled out were Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Montiel and Giovani Lo Celso. Lionel Scaloni also dropped Alejandro Garnacho and Claudio Echeverri from the larger squad announced on March 2.
Lionel Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who captained and led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, has been sidelined several times by Inter Miami this season because of injury concerns.
This month, Lionel Messi missed three games but returned on Thursday for the second leg of Inter Miami’s round-of-16 CONCACAF Champions Cup tie against Cavalier SC.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Lionel Messi was fit to start against Atlanta on Sunday. Lionel Messi scored in the 20th minute, just before he was reported to have been injured.
