Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has been left out of Argentina’s squad for their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil after suffering a minor injury.
The 37-year-old, who returned to Inter Miami’s starting line-up in their Major League Soccer win over Atlanta United, sustained a “low-grade” adductor muscle injury during the match, the club confirmed.
Messi had previously missed three games for Miami before coming off the bench to score in last week’s Concacaf Champions Cup victory over Cavalier in Jamaica.
Reacting to his absence, Messi expressed his disappointment on Instagram, saying it was a “shame to miss two such special qualification games.” He added, “I wanted to be there as always but at the last minute, a minor injury forced me to take a break before playing again. But I’ll be supporting and cheering from here like a fan.”
Argentina, the reigning world champions, currently lead the South American qualifying table by five points with six games left. A strong performance in this round of fixtures could secure their place at the 2026 World Cup.
The squad will also be without Roma striker Paulo Dybala and River Plate defender Gonzalo Montiel due to injuries. Meanwhile, Brazil, who face Argentina in the qualifiers, will be without Neymar, as the 33-year-old Santos forward is sidelined with a thigh injury.
Messi remains the top scorer in the qualifiers with six goals, bringing his international tally to 112 goals in 191 appearances for Argentina.
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