Messi ruled out of Argentina squad for Uruguay, Brazil clashes

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has been left out of the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to an injury.

The 37-year-old forward, who plays for Inter Miami, sustained a low-grade adductor muscle injury during his team's 2-1 victory on Sunday.

Inter Miami confirmed the injury through a statement but did not provide a specific timeline for his return. "His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition," the club stated.

Messi also missed three games for Inter Miami earlier this month but made a comeback with a goal off the bench in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match.

As the reigning world champions, Argentina is in a strong position to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They currently lead the 10-team South American qualifying group by five points ahead of their clash against Uruguay in Montevideo.

With six teams earning direct qualification to the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Argentina can confirm their spot with positive results in the upcoming matches. Messi, the team's top scorer in the qualifiers, leads the competition with six goals.

Apart from Messi, Argentina will also be without key players Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Montiel, who are both sidelined due to injuries. Meanwhile, Brazil has suffered a major setback, with Neymar ruled out due to a thigh injury. The 33-year-old was expected to return to the national team but will now miss the qualifiers. Brazil currently sits in fifth place, trailing Argentina by seven points.

Argentina Squad for World Cup Qualifiers

Goalkeepers:

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, ENG), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille, FRA), Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven, NED).

Defenders:

Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille, FRA), Cristian Romero (Tottenham, ENG), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica, POR), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon, FRA), Facundo Medina (Lens, FRA), Juan Foyth (Villarreal, ESP), German Pezzella (River Plate).

Midfielders:

Leandro Paredes (Roma, ITA), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool, ENG), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen, GER), Maximo Perrone (Como, ITA), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea, ENG), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Benjamin Dominguez (Bologna, ITA), Thiago Almada (Lyon, FRA).

Forwards:

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, ITA), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Nicolas Paz (Como, ITA), Santiago Castro (Bologna, ITA), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus, ITA).

Argentina will face Uruguay on Friday before taking on Brazil in a high-stakes clash on March 25.