Lionel Messi Misses Argentina’s World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Against Chile and Colombia Due to Injury
Lionel Messi, the standout player for Argentina, will not play in the forthcoming matches against Chile and Colombia, which is a major setback for Argentina’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
Lionel Scaloni, the head coach of Argentina, revealed Messi’s absence from these vital World Cup qualifiers owing to a right ankle injury when he unveiled the 28-man roster on Monday.
On Monday, Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni revealed his 28-man roster for the games against Chile on September 5 and Colombia on September 6. Messi’s right ankle issue is still bothering him.
Not included on the list is 36-year-old Angel Di Maria, who left the national team after winning the most recent Copa America. After six games, World Cup winner Argentina is leading South American qualifying with 15 points.
Argentina Squad:
Goalkeepers:
Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Juan Musso (Atalanta), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa).
Defenders:
Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), German Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Valentin Barco (Brighton).
Midfielders:
Leandro Paredes (Roma), Guido Rodriguez (West Ham), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham), Ezequiel Fernandez (Al Qadisiya), Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Nico González (Fiorentina).
Forwards:
Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Matias Soule (Roma), Giuliano Simeone, Julian Alvarez both (Atletico Madrid), Valentin Carboni (Olympique Marseille), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) and Valentin Castellanos (Lazio).
