THE BIGGER PICTURE
He will be a big miss for Lionel Scaloni’s side, with important points in the CONMEBOL section of qualification up for grabs. Every effort had been made at club level to ensure that Messi was not pushed beyond breaking point in the early stages of Inter Miami’s 2025 campaign.
DID YOU KNOW?
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has seen plenty of rest, as his workload is managed, but a muscle complaint was still picked up in a MLS clash with Atlanta United – a game that saw Messi register another stunning solo goal.
WHAT LIONEL MESSI SAID
The 37-year-old has posted on social media of being denied the opportunity to add to his collection of 191 international caps: “I’m sad to miss these important games against Uruguay and Brazil with the national team. I really wanted to play but a small injury means I need to rest for a bit, so I can’t be there. I’ll be supporting and cheering from here like any other fan. Let’s go, Argentina!”
WHAT NEXT?
While Argentine will always prefer to have Messi at their disposal, as the talismanic leader of his country, they are sat five points clear at the top of the South American World Cup qualification table – meaning that they are well on course to book tickets for the defence of their global crown in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.