Argentine football legend Lionel Messi has addressed his absence from the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil after being ruled out due to injury. The Inter Miami star suffered a low-grade adductor injury, as confirmed by his club, which has forced him to miss Argentina’s upcoming international matches. Messi experienced discomfort during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United, where he scored the opening goal. This latest setback follows a period of fitness concerns that have impacted his season in the USA, with the 37-year-old missing three games earlier this month. Although he made a brief return in the CONCACAF Champions Cup round-of-16 second leg against Cavalier SC, his recent injury has now sidelined him again.
Messi took to Instagram to share his disappointment, stating, “It’s sad to miss these two very special matches with the National Team against Uruguay and Brazil. As always, I wanted to be there, but at the last moment, a minor injury forced me to stop before returning to play.”
Despite his absence, Messi assured fans that he would be supporting his team from afar, writing, “From here, I will be cheering and supporting as just another fan. Vamos Argentina!”
Argentina’s Qualification Campaign
As the defending World Cup champions, Argentina is in a strong position in the South American qualifiers, leading the 10-team group by five points. Their upcoming clash against Uruguay in Montevideo will be crucial in securing early qualification for the next FIFA World Cup.
In addition to Messi, Argentina will also be without Paulo Dybala and Paulo Montiel, both sidelined due to injuries. Coach Lionel Scaloni has also left out Alejandro Garnacho and Claudio Echeverri from the final squad announced on March 2.
Despite these challenges, the Albiceleste will aim to continue their dominant form and take another step towards securing a place in the global tournament.
