Messi Ruled Out Of Argentina’s World Cup Qualifiers Against Brazil And Uruguay

Lionel Messi was not included in Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, with the forward missing out due to a muscle strain.

Messi netted a spectacular goal in Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United in Major League Soccer (MLS) on Sunday, but he experienced some muscle discomfort afterward, according to local reports.

As a result, the 37-year-old was omitted from the Argentina squad on Monday and will stay in the United States for recovery.

Argentina, who lead the CONMEBOL qualifying standings with 25 points after 12 games, travel to second-placed Uruguay on Friday.

They will host a Brazil team on March 25th without forward Neymar, who was expected to make his return to the national squad after more than a year but has been sidelined due to a muscle injury.